LOCATION GOLDHILL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Vertic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Goldhill loam--on a 12 percent northwest facing slope at 7,850 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 18, 1980, the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, very dark grayish brown 10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and coarse roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8), abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
BA--3 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8), abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--7 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 15 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to 24 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; many prominent and distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
Bt3--24 to 33 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many prominent and distinct thick clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 20 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bk1--33 to 40 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong thick platy structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings less than 1 mm. thick on undersides of coarse fragments; 10 percent secondary lime in old root channels; 25 percent manganese stains on ped faces and on coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--40 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong thick platy structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings less than 1 mm. thick on undersides of coarse fragments; 10 percent secondary lime in old root channels; 25 percent manganese stains on ped faces and on coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 19 miles southeast of Patterson, Idaho; about 700 feet north and 50 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 22, T. 11 N., R. 24 E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 15 minutes, 44 seconds North; Longitude - 113 degrees, 34 minutes, 33 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 46 to 51 degrees F.
Depth to secondary carbonates - 20 to 40 inches
Rock fragments - 10 to 35 percent
Reaction of profile - neutral through strongly alkaline
Control section; clay - 35 to 60 percent
Moisture regime - xeric
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5, dry
Chroma - 2 or 3, dry and moist
Bt horizons
Hue - 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 4 through 6, dry and moist
Chroma - 3 or 4, moist
Texture - GR-C, GR-CL, SIC,
Bk horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 4 or 5 moist and dry
Texture - GRV-CL, GR-CL, CL
Rock fragments - 5 - 60 percent
Calcium carbonate - 15 to 50 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Herd series. Herd soils are dry for 30 to 45 days in late summer, are in a humid climate and have hue of 2.5Y to 7.5YR in the subsoil.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Goldhill soils are on mountains, foothills and terraces. Slopes are 4 to 40 percent. Elevations are 6,900 to 8,800 feet. The soils formed in glacial till and colluvium derived from mixed geologic sources. The climate is cold and moist in winter and cool and dry in summer. Average annual air temperature is 34 to 40 degrees F. Average annual precipitation is 13 to 18 inches. The frost-free period is 10 to 50 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cronks, Dacont, Donkehill, Friedman, Lag, Meegero, Parkay, Resoot, Venum, Zeale, and Zeebar soils. Cronks, Dacont, Donkehill, Friedman, Lag, Parkay, Resoot, and Zeebar soils are on mountain and foothills and have mollic epipedons. Meegero and Zeale soils are on fan terraces and foothills and have mollic epipedons and have carbonatic minerology. Venum soils are on mountains and foothills and have greater than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are dominantly rangeland. Vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, alkali sagebrush, and Idaho fescue.
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 features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Argillic horizon - the zone from 7 to 33 inches
Calcic horizon - the zone from 33 to 60 inches
Estimated linear extensibility is 6.0 to 8.0 centimeters