LOCATION FRESHWATER              ID

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

FRESHWATER SERIES

The Freshwater series consists of shallow to duripan, well drained soils with moderately slow permeability that formed in alluvium from extrusive rocks. Freshwater soils are on structural benches and plug domes. Slopes range from 2 to 20 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the average annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Xeric Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Freshwater loam -- on a north-facing slope of 5 percent, in native rangeland at 1,690 meters elevation. The surface has about 1 percent stone cover. (When described on September 5, l979, the soil was dry to 15 cm and slightly moist below. Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 13 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine, common medium, few coarse roots; many fine and very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel, 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

Bt1--13 to 33 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common medium, fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--33 to 46 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common medium, fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bkqm--46 to 56 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) continuous, indurated siliceous laminae 1 mm thick over very pale brown (10YR 7/3 to 10YR 8/3) slightly fractured, strongly cemented duripan; strong thick platy structure; extremely hard, very firm, brittle; strongly effervescent; abrupt irregular boundary. (10 to 50 cm thick)

2R--56 cm; weathered flow-breccia.

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 15 miles southeast of Riddle; about 650 feet east and 150 feet south of the northwest corner of section 35, T. 15 S., R. 5 E.; USGS Black Leg Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees, 05 minutes, 08 seconds North Latitude and 115 degrees, 50 minutes, 35 seconds West Longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 42.0855556 latitude, -115.8430556 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to duripan - 30 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 100 cm.
Particle-size control section - 27 to 34 percent clay; 5 to 35 percent rock fragments
Reaction (pH) - neutral through moderately alkaline
Average annual soil temperature - 6.1 to 8.3 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature - 17.2 to 19.4 degrees F.
Aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric.

A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 5 to 20 percent

Bt horizon
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - CL, GR-CL, or GR-SICL
Rock fragments - 5 to 35 percent

Bkqm horizon
Structure - commonly platy, less commonly massive
Other feature - some pedons have a transitional Bkq horizon

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Olson series. Olson soils do not have bedrock immediately below the duripan.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Freshwater soils are undulating to hilly on summits and sides of structural benches and plug domes at elevations of 1,590 to 1,830 meters. Slopes range from 2 to 20 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from extrusive rocks. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and warm and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 280 to 33 mm. Average annual temperature ranges from 5.0 to 47.2 degrees C. Frost-free period is 70 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brace, Heckison and Larioscamp series. These soils are greater than 50 cm deep and on less sloping landscape positions.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Freshwater soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Freshwater soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 25.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County Area, Idaho, 1992.

REMARKS: This revision (8/95) changes the classification from Xerollic Durargids to Xeric Argidurids according to the 1994 edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The remainder of the OSD has not been updated since 5/93.

Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - The zone 0 to 13 cm (A horizon.)
Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - The zone 13 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 46 to 56 cm (Bkqm horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 56 cm (2R boundary).

The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.