LOCATION FARVANT IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid, shallow Vitrandic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Farvant gravelly sandy loam--on a 10 percent slightly convex, west-facing slope in rangeland at 5,700 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on June 27, 1984, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bk1--2 to 6 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles; few lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on undersides of coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bk2--6 to 12 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely flaggy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent pebbles, 55 percent flagstones; few lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on undersides of rock fragments; root mats on tops of flagstones; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Crk--12 inches; fractured, platy tuff; dead root mats on tops of flagstones; lime coats 1 to 5 mm thick in fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 6 miles southeast of Challis, Idaho; about 2,100 feet south and about 1,300 feet east from the northwest corner of section 22, T. 13 N., R. 20 E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 26 minutes, 38 seconds North; Longitude - 114 degrees, 05 minutes, 05 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Moisture regime - typic aridic
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 43 degrees F.
Glass content - 30 to 70 percent
Control section; percent clay - 12 to 20
Depth to calcic horizon - 1 to 3 inches
Rock fragments - average 35 to 80 percent
Depth to paralithic contact - 10 to 17 inches
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 4 through 6, dry or moist
Chroma - 3 to 4 dry or moist
Reaction - Slightly or moderately alkaline
Bk horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - GR-SL, FLX-SL, GRV-SL, GRV-L
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 40 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Farvant soils are on foothills and ridges. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from tuff. Slopes are 10 to 60 percent. Elevations are 5,000 to 7,000 feet. The climate is cold and moist in winter and dry in summer. The average annual precipitation is 6 to 8 inches; average annual temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Dawtonia, Gradco, Holinrock, Mitring, Sactus, Snowslide, and Sprabat soils. Dawtonia soils are on mountainsides and fan terraces and are very deep and have an argillic horizon. Gradco, Holinrock, and Mitring soils are on ridges and are moderately deep. Sactus soils are on ridges and summits and are shallow to hard bedrock. Snowslide and Sprabat soils are on fan terraces and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow and medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is shadscale, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, bottlebrush squirreltail and Salmon wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. This soil is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 2 to 12 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 12 inches (Cr horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the surface to 12 inches (A, Bk1, and Bk2 horizons).