LOCATION GERMER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Germer very gravelly loam--on a 4 percent convex, east by northeast-facing slopes at 5,400 feet elevation in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on August 14, 1984 the soil was dry from 0 to 3 inches, moist from 3 to 9 inches, and dry from 9 to 60 inches.)
E--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse and very coarse platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and common vesicular pores; 35 percent pebble, 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Btk--3 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films in pores and on the faces of peds; 20 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on the undersides of some coarse fragments; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
2Bkq1--9 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles, 2 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 mm thick on undersides and some sides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6) clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
2Bkq2--14 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 45 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 mm thick on undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
2Bkq3--21 to 31 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine dead roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 60 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 mm thick on the undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
2Bkq4--31 to 40 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine dead roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 65 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 to 2 mm thick on the undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2Bkq5--40 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; massive, soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine dead roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 to 3 mm thick on the undersides and sides of coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Challis, Idaho; about 1,500 feet west and 2,450 feet south from the northeast corner of section 20, T. 14 N., R. 19 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 40 to 44 degrees F.
Control section; percent clay - 12 to 18
Coarse fragments - 50 to 65 percent
Depth to base of the argillic horizon - 7 to 9 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 7 to 9 inches
E horizon
Value - 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Btk horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Percent clay - 35 to 40
Coarse fragments - 15 to 30 percent
Other features - Some pedons lack lime coatings on the undersides of coarse fragments. These pedons have a Bt horizon instead of a Btk horizon.
2Bkq horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 6 or 7 dry
Chroma - 3 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - GRV-L, GRX-SL, GRV-SL, GRX-COSL
Coarse fragments - 45 to 85 percent
Reaction - slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline
Other features - A discontinuous, weakly cemented, highly fractured pan occurs in some pedons.
2Bkq horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 6 or 7 dry
Chroma - 3 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - GRX-SL, GRX-COSL, GRX-LCOS
Rock fragments - 60 to 85 percent
Gypsum content - less than 5 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Germer soils are on fan terraces. These soils formed in alluvium from andesite and rhyolite. Slopes are 2 to 10 percent. Elevations are 5,200 to 5,900 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 42 degrees F.; and the frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bayhorse and Dawtonia soils. Bayhorse soils are on ridges and are 12 to 20 inches deep to bedrock. Dawtonia soils are on fan terraces and ridge sideslopes and have 18 to 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon and receive 8 to 11 inches of average annual precipitation.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow runoff; moderately slow over moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly shadscale, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are 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
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 9 inches (Btk horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 9 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section - The zone from 3 to 40 inches