LOCATION FAIRYLAWN ID

Established Series
Rev. DH/ALH/CLM
01/2019

FAIRYLAWN SERIES

The Fairylawn series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils with very slow permeability that formed in alluvium and loess from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. Fairylawn soils are on tablelands and structural benches. Slopes range from 1 to 25 percent. Average annual temperature is 8.3 degrees C. and average annual precipitation is 330 mm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Abruptic Durixeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Fairylawn silt loam -- on nearly level tableland, in native rangeland, at 1,500 meter elevation. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on July 21, l983, the soil was dry from 0 to 8 inches and slightly moist below.)

A--0 to 20 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine, common medium roots; common fine and very fine vesicular and interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

Bt1--20 to 51 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; continuous prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 41 cm thick)

Bt2--51 to 64 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 10 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 46 cm thick)

Bkqm--64 to 102 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) continuous, indurated siliceous laminae 2 to 4 mm thick over very pale brown (10YR 7/3) to reddish yellow (7.5YR 8/6) continuous strongly cemented duripan; strong coarse platy structure; extremely hard, very firm, brittle when wet; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 38 cm thick)

2R--102 cm; basalt bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 32 miles south and 14 miles west of Silver City; 460 feet south and 1,400 feet west of the northeast corner of section 14, T. 10 S., R. 6 W.; USGS Brewer Reservoir 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 42 degrees 33 minutes 32 seconds N and longitude 117 degrees 00 minutes 22 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 42.5588889 latitude, -117.0061111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Average annual soil temperature - 8.3 to 10.0 degrees C.
Depth to duripan - 51 to 89 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 53 to 102 cm.
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in the winter and spring, dry from late June through October; typic xeric moisture regime.
Particle-size control section - 35 to 55 percent clay

A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Reaction (pH) - neutral or mildly alkaline

Bt1 horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - C, CL, or CB-C
Percent clay - 35 to 60
Rock fragments - 0 to 20 percent
Reaction (pH) - mildly through moderately alkaline

Bt2 horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - L, CL, or CB-CL
Rock fragments - 5 to 30 percent
Reaction (pH) - mildly through strongly alkaline

Bkqm horizon
Structure - commonly platy and less commonly massive

Some pedons have a transitional Bkq horizon

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils listed in the same family. Elhina, Thacker, and Deunah soils are frigid.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fairylawn soils are nearly level to moderately steep on tablelands and structural benches at elevations of 1,310 to 1,650 meters. Slopes range from 1 to 25 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and loess from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 300 to 380 mm, and the average annual temperature ranges from 7.2 to 8.9 degrees C. The frost-free period is 85 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Loomis, Perla and Schnipper soils. Loomis soils are shallow. Perla and Schnipper soils have a mollic epipedon. These soils are on similar landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; very slow saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Fairylawn soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is low sagebrush, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Fairylawn soils are not extensive. MLRA 25.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County Area, Idaho, l992.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 20 cm A horizon).Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 64 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Abrupt texture change - The boundary at 20 cm, estimated greater than 30 % clay increase within 2.5 cm (The upper boundary of Bt1 horizon).
Duripan - The zone 64 to 102 cm (The Bkqm horizon).
Bedrock - The boundary at 102 cm (The 2R boundary).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.