LOCATION FLUMECREEK IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy-skeletal, amorphic over isotic, frigid Ultic Udivitrands
TYPICAL PEDON: Flumecreek ashy loam, forested; on a west-facing slope of 55 percent at 4,580 feet elevation. When described on October 27, 1993, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed cones, needles, and leaves.
Oe--1 to 2 inches; moderately decomposed cones, needles, and leaves. (O horizons 1 to 2 inches thick)
A--2 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; very soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 3 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) ashy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine and fine granular; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many fine and medium, common coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 1 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
2Bw2--21 to 32 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium, common coarse roots between peds; common very fine and fine irregular pores; few discontinuous patchy light gray (10YR 7/2) skeletans coating faces of peds; 35 percent cobbles, 15 percent gravel, and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
2Bt1--32 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine to coarse roots between peds; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; few discontinuous distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; few discontinuous distinct pink (7.5YR 7/3) skeltans on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobble; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 13 inches thick)
2Bt2--43 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely stony sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots between peds and few very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular and few very fine and fine tubular pores; few discontinuous distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent cobble, 25 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
2Bt3--52 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely stony sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots between peds; common very fine irregular pores; few discontinuous distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobble, 30 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt4--60 to 67 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely stony sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots between peds; few very fine irregular pores; few discontinuous distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel, 35 percent cobble, 30 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 5.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 9 miles north of Headquarters, Idaho; 1,500 feet south, 650 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 2, T.39N, R.5E.; Latitude - 46 degrees, 45 minutes, 23 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 48 minutes, 12 seconds West; USGS Bertha Hill Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F. Frigid temperature regime.
Soil moisture regime - usually moist year round and not dry for 30 consecutive days during June to October. Udic moisture regime.
Thickness of volcanic ash mantle - 14 to 19 inches
Volcanic glass - 15 to 50 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al+1/2 Fe - 1.3 to 2.7 percent
Phosphorous retention - 55 to 95 percent
15 bar water retention - 11.0 to 33.0 percent on air dried samples (weighted average for all horizons with andic soil properties is greater than 12.0 percent)
A horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Textures - ASHY-L, ASHY-SIL
Clay content - 8 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction - strongly acid to slightly acid
Bulk density - 0.65 to 0.95 g/cc
Bw horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Textures - ASHY-L, ASHY-SIL, GR-ASHY-L
Clay content - 8 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent total rock fragments
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
Bulk density - 0.65 to 1.00 g/cc
2Bw horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture - CBV-L, CBX-L, GRV-L
Clay content - 15 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones; total rock fragment content - 45 to 60 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
2Bt horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture - GR-L, GRV-L, GRX-L, CBV-L, GRV-SIL, GRV-CL, CBX-CL, CBV-SL, CBX-SL, STV-SL, STX-SL, GRV-SCL, CBV-SCL, STX-SCL, GRV-SL
Clay content - 12 to 27 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 40 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent stones; total rock fragment content - 30 to 75 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
2BC horizon (present in some pedons)
Chroma - 4 or 6 moist
Textures - CBX-L, CBV-SL, STX-SL
Clay content - 12 to 21 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 35 percent gravel, 20 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent stones, 35 to 75 percent total rock fragment content
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Flumecreek soils are on mountain slopes at elevations of 3,600 to 5,000 feet with slopes ranging from 15 to 65 percent. These soils are formed in quartzite colluvium and residuum with a thick mantle of volcanic ash. The average annual temperature is 38 to 44 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is 40 to 60 inches. The frost-free season is 50 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Berthahill, Handoff, and the Township series. Berthahill and Handoff soils are on mountain slopes and have cryic soil temperature regimes. Township soils are on mountain slopes, are paramicaceous and lack an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Potential natural vegetation is grand fir, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce with an understory of queencup beadlily, bunchberry dogwood, western goldenthread, coolwort foamflower, mallow ninebark, creambush oceanspray, common snowberry, big blueberry, American trailplant, princes pine, northern bedstraw, and common pink wintergreen.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Idaho. Flumecreek soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Volcanic ash mantle - The zone from 2 to 21 inches. (A and Bw horizons)
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 2 to 10 inches. (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - The zone from 10 to 32 inches. (Bw and 2Bw horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone form 32 to 67 inches. (2Bt horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 2 to 42 inches (A, Bw, 2Bw, and part of the 2Bt1 horizon).
The ranges of values listed under the Range in Characteristics for Bulk density, Volcanic glass content, Acid-oxalate Al+1/2 Fe, Phosphate retention and 15-bar water retention are estimates only.