LOCATION FINGAL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aquic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fingal loam - cultivated (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 8 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; very slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
B1--8 to 14 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) (light brownish gray 2.5Y 6/2 crushed) loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) (dark grayish brown 10YR 4/2 crushed) moist; moderate medium and fine granular structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
B2--14 to 22 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) (light brownish gray 2.5Y 6/2 crushed) light clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky, parting to weak fine and medium granular structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; noncalcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
IIC1gca--22 to 33 inches; light gray (5Y and 2.5Y 7/1) silty clay, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; few fine distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) mottles; weak very fine angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous, common medium splotches of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual smooth boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)
IIC2gca--33 to 45 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) silty clay, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; common fine and medium distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) mottles; weak thick platy (laminated), parting to weak, very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common soft brown and very dark gray iron and/or manganese concretions; strongly calcareous, common fine spots and splotches of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
IIIC3g--45 to 49 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) heavy silty clay loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; many medium and coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6), light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) mottles; moderate medium platy (laminated) structure; hard, very friable, sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few, soft, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) iron and/or manganese concretions between laminae; strongly calcareous, few veins and spots of calcium carbonate; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
IIIC4g--49 to 60 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) heavy silty clay loam, gray (5Y 6/1) moist; few medium distinct pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) stains between laminae and in fractures; moderate medium platy (laminated) structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few, fine, soft, iron and/or manganese concretions between laminae; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Bingham County, Idaho; about 2 miles south and 1 mile west of Springfield; 450 feet north and 20 feet west of the SE corner of sec. 22, T.4S., R.32E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 51 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for about 60 to 70 consecutive days during the summer. The soils are not usually saturated throughout but are saturated within 40 inches of the surface during most of the spring and early summer (about 90 to 110 days) unless artificially drained. Mottles of chroma of 2 or less are within 30 inches of the surface but are not immediately below the mollic epipedon. The 10- to 40-inch control section averages 35 to 45 percent clay and has less than 15 percent rock fragments. The organic matter content decreases regularly with depth to a level of 0.5 percent or less within 50 inches of the surface. The solum is 15 to 25 inches thick. It ranges from noncalcareous to moderately calcareous, but is not calcareous throughout. Depth to the calcic horizon is 20 to 33 inches. Depth to the lakelaid sediments is 18 to 30 inches. Some pedons are saline. The Ap horizon or the upper 7-inch layer when mixed has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4.5 to 5.5 dry and 2.5 to 3.5 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. The upper 2- to 4-inch layer is platy, granular, or (and) vesicular. The B (cambic) horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1.5 or 2. It is medium to moderately fine textured and contains 24 to 30 percent clay. This horizon has weak prismatic to weak subangular blocky or weak granular structure. The IIC and IIIC horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 6 through 8, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. They are heavy silty clay loam, silty clay or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blackfoot, Chino, Dithod, East Fork, Fulmer, Hussman, Landlow, Parehat, and Quenzer series. Blackfoot, Dithod, East Fork, Hussman, and Parehat soils have organic matter contents that decrease irregularly with depth or do not reach a level of 0.5 percent within 50 inches of the surface. Chino and Landlow soils have a mean annual soil temperature warmer than 59 degrees F. Chino and Hussman soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section. Fulmer soils are saturated throughout unless drained and have mottles in or immediately below the mollic epipedon. Quenzer soils lack a mollic epipedon and a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The soils are on level to very gently sloping terraces at elevations of 4,200 to 4,600 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. The soils formed in alluvium and lakelaid sediments. The climate is semiarid and has dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches, including about 1.5 to 3 feet of snowfall. Average freeze-free period is 100 to 110 days.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Declo soils and the competing Fulmer soils. Declo soils are well-drained and have ochric epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability in the B horizons and slow permeability in the clayey layers. The water table fluctuates between depths of about 3 and 6 feet for short periods, and is highest in summer.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly cultivated under irrigation for hay, pasture, sugar beets, and small grains. The principal native plants are big sagebrush, greasewood, saltgrass, cheatgrass, foxtail barley, and squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The series is inextensive in the terraces of the Upper Snake River near the American Falls reservoir.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bingham County (Blackfoot-Aberdeen Area) Idaho, 1940.
REMARKS: The soils were classified as Sierozems.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 7/72.