LOCATION GRASSY BUTTE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, frigid Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Grassy Butte loamy sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 19 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--19 to 32 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bk2--32 to 51 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) loamy sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 24 inches thick)
C--51 to 60 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) loamy sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly effervescemt; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Idaho; 2.5 miles north, 1/4 mile east of Hamer; 50 feet south, 150 feet east of the W1/4 corner, sec. 3, T.7N., R.36E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The soil moisture control section is dry for over three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 59 to 66 degrees F.
Depth to the calcic horizon is 10 to 24 inches
It is neutral to moderately alkaline throughout.
It is loamy sand, sand or loamy fine sand throughout.
A horizon - Calcium carbonate equivalent - is 0 to 15 percent.
Bk horizons:
Value - 4 or 7 dry and 3 to 6 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 40 percent
C horizons:
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 0 to 15 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The series is on basalt plains. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. The series is formed in eolian material. Elevations range from 4,800 to 5,600 feet. The semiarid climate has an average freeze-free period of 80 to 115 days, average annual precipitation of 8 to 11 inches, including 2.5 to 4 feet of snowfall, average annual temperature of 40 to 45 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aecet, Bereniceton, Bondfarm, Diston, Bondranch, Malm, Matheson, Modkin and Nathon soils. Diston soils are less than 40 inches deep over a duripan. All the other soils listed lack sandy textures in the partical-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively or excessively drained; very slow to slow runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and cropland. The natural vegetation is big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Idaho, 1975.
REMARKS: Classification updated from Typic Calciorthids to current classification.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Calcic horizon - the zone from 19 to 51 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
The Bw horizon is too coarse to qualify as a cambic horizon. Dark colors are litho-chromatic, derived from basaltic parent material.
Partical-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches ( part of the Bw, Bk1, and part of the Bk2 horizons)