LOCATION GARSOX ID

Established Series
Rev. DFA/TDT
12/2022

GARSOX SERIES

The Garsox series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained, slowly permeable soils that formed in mixed alluvium. They are on terraces and have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 9 inches, and the average annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Garsox silt loam, pasture. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak very thin platy; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Btn--2 to 5 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; common bleached grains; weak and moderate, coarse, prismatic structure parting to weak, coarse columnar; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few faint patchy or nearly continuous clay films; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Btkn--5 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak and moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; prisms are continuous from Bt through Btk horizon; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots and few fine roots; few faint continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)

Bk1--10 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; very weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots and few fine and medium roots; common 1/2 inch krotovinas filled with material from Btk horizon; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)

Bk2--16 to 25 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; strongly effervescent; common fine veins of lime; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)

Bk3--25 to 36 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine distinct masses of iron depletion that are dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; many fine and medium distinct masses of iron depletion in lower 3 inches; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and very few fine and medium roots; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bk4--36 to 44 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few fine roots; moderately effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)

Bkq--44 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy fine sand and thin strata of silt loam and sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; very few fine roots; very weak discontinuous cementation in part; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Minidoka County, Idaho; About 1.5 miles west of Heyburn, Idaho; 100 feet north and 200 feet west of the southeast corner of the southwest 1/4 northeast 1/4 of section 30, T.10S., R.24E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to bedrock - more than 60 inches
Depth to water table - 24 to 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 51 to 53 degrees F
Depth to cementation - 40 to 60 inches
Salinity - slightly saline or moderately saline

A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
SAR - 0 to 5
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline

Btn and Btkn horizons
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2
Clay content - 27 to 32 percent
SAR - 13 to 25
Reaction - strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline

Bk and Bkq horizons
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma - 0 through 2
Texture - stratified loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or
loamy fine sand
SAR - 5 to 20
Reaction - strongly alkaline through very strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Godecke and the Honlak series. Godecke soils have over 20 percent durinodes or weak discontinuous cementation at depths above 40 inches. Honlak soils have durinodes or weak cementation at depth of 22 to 32 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Garsox soils are on terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 4,140 to 4,150 feet. The soils formed in mixed alluvium. The climate is semi-arid; the average annual temperature is 49 to 50 degrees F., the average annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. The frost-free season ranges from 130 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Paulmyers and Decker soils. Paulmyers and Decker soils lack a natric horizon. Decker soils do not have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained slow runoff. Slow permeability. A water table is present at 30 to 40 inches in the summer. Water table is induced from irrigation.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for pasture.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Idaho. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Minidoka County, Idaho, 1999.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the surface to 2 inches.
Argillic and natric horizon from 2 to 10 inches.
Calcic horizon from 10 to 44 inches

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.