LOCATION GOOSE CREEK ID+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Goose Creek silty clay loam - cultivated. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
A--5 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Ab--10 to 24 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; few root stains in some pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
C--24 to 34 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; few dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) root stains around former root channels; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)
2C--34 to 39 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) redox concentrations, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; weak fine and moderate subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, common medium roots; common fine tubular pores; few dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) root stains; few medium rounded firm (cicada) krotovinas; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick).
3C--39 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; few fine prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/3) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) redox concentrations, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine pores; few root stains around former root channels; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Cassia County, Idaho; about 5 miles south and 1 mile west of Burley; 2,750 feet north and 1,425 feet west of the southeast corner of section 24, T.11 S., R.22 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Aridic soil moisture regime
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 40 inches
Reaction (pH) - neutral to moderately alkaline
Texture in control section - dominantly SICL or CL with 27 to 35 percent clay with thin strata of LFS, FSL, L, SIL, C
Depth to redox features - greater than 24 inches
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 through 3 dry or moist
C horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 1 through 4 dry or moist
Effervescence - none or slight below 24 inches
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Birdow, Blackrock, Coit, Dagor, Draper, Eastcan, Goosenwat, Gosinta, Heidtman, Lakeview, Monroe, Oxy, Shoepeg, Willowdale and Winn series. Birdow and Blackrock soils lack characteristics associated with wetness and are moderately or strongly calcareous. Dagor, Goosenwat and Monroe soils lack soil characteristics associated with wetness. Gosinta soils are dominantly loam or silt loam in the control section. Draper, Lakeview and Shoepeg soils have a Xeric moisture regime. Willowdale soils have horizons of lime accumulation and have 10 to 20 percent pumice sand in the control section. Eastcan, Coit and Winn soils are calcareous throughout their profiles. Heidtman soils have secondary carbonates at 10 to 30 inches. Osy soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Goose Creek soils are on floodplains at elevations of 2,000 to 5,350 feet. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent. The soils formed in relatively recent moderately fine textured alluvium of mixed origin but derived dominantly from loessial, quartzitic, and igneous materials. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 13 inches, including 1 to 3 feet of snowfall. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 51 degrees F. Frost-free period is 95 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beetville, Catherine, and Drax soils. Beetville soils are coarse-loamy. Catherine soils are fine-silty. Drax soils have a less than 20 inch thick mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well or somewhat poorly drained; very slow or slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. Many areas have been drained where water has been diverted or where drainage channels have been lowered or constructed. Water table in somewhat poorly drained areas is at a depth of 30 to 40 inches. Moderately well drained areas have a water table at depths of 40 to 60 inches or more.
USE AND VEGETATION: Goose Creek soils are used mainly for irrigated cropland to grow sugar beets, small grains, potatoes, corn, beans, hay, and pasture. Vegetation in the potential natural plant community is mainly basin wildrye, bluegrass, slender wheatgrass, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cassia County (Minidoka Area), Idaho, 1923.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 24 inches
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches