LOCATION FALLERT IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Fallert gravelly loam - on a 5 percent south slopes at 6,000 feet elevation in rangeland. Vegetation is black sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass. When described on July 17, 1991, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 25 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bkq1--11 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (75 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; common silica pendants and lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on underside of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bkq2--18 to 27 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (70 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; common silica pendants and lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on underside of coarse fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)
Bkq3--27 to 39 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; some discontinuous platy very hard and very firm areas that are weakly to strongly cemented; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent (60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; common silica pendants and lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on underside of coarse fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bkq4--39 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; some discontinuous platy very hard and very firm areas that are weakly to strongly cemented; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; common silica pendants and lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on underside of coarse fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, Idaho; about three miles south of Hawley Mountain. 2,000 feet east and 1,750 feet south of the northwest corner of section 8, T. 8 N., R. 26 E.; (rd) 44 degrees, 05 minutes, 58 seconds north latitude, 113 degrees, 11 minutes, 02 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The soil moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is about 41 degrees F; dry for 70 to 85 consecutive days.
Average annual soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 60 to 66 degrees F.
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
Depth to the hard firm brittle layer - 25 to 35 inches
Depth to the calcic horizon - 10 to 15 inches
Particle-size control section
Total clay averages - 5 to 15 percent; carbonate free clay averages 2 to 10 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 40 to 70 percent
Rock fragments average - 50 to 75 percent
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist
Bw horizon
Value - 5 through 7 dry and 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist
Texture - GRV-L or GR-L
Rock fragments - 25 to 60 percent
Total clay content - 12 to 18 percent
Bkq horizon
Value - 5 to 7 dry and 3 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 moist
Texture - GRV-SL, GRV-LCOS, GRX-LS, or GRV-LS
Rock fragments - 45 to 80 percent
Total clay content - 5 to 10 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. The closely related Nuc series contains more than 15 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are somewhat excessively drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fallert soils are on fan terraces. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent. Elevations range from 5,400 to 6,400 feet. The soils formed dominantly in limestone alluvium. The average annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches, most of which is in the form of snow. The average annual soil temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F. The frost free season is 70 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Paint, Simeroi, and the Snowslide series. The Paint soils have a duripan within 20 inches of the surface. The Simeroi and Snowslide series lack weak brittle sub horizons. Snowslide series are dryer (typic vs. xeric).
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for range and wildlife. Vegetation is mainly black sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Fallert soils are inextensive in southeast central Idaho.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County Area, Idaho, 1997.
REMARKS: This revision moves the type location and changes the classification from sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Durixerollic Calciorthids.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 10 inches
Weak cambic - the zone from 3 to 11 inches
Calcic horizon - the zone from 11 to 40 inches (the Bkq horizons)
Particle size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (the Bw and Bkq horizons)