LOCATION GRAVEYA ID

Established Series
Rev. ALH/CLM
12/2022

GRAVEYA SERIES

The Graveya series consist of very deep, well drained soils with moderately slow permeability that formed in slope alluvium from welded rhyolitic tuff, mixed in the lower part with lacustrine sediments. Graveya soils are on foothills. Slopes range from 8 to 35 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 11 inches and the average annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Graveya stony loam -- on a north-facing concave slope of 20 percent, in native rangeland at 3,000 feet elevation. (When described on June 19, 1985, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for air-dry soils unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stony loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; many very fine and fine, few medium vesicular and interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 3 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

A2--3 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)

Bw1--8 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Bw2--14 to 22 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

2Bkq1--22 to 42 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, calcium carbonate and silica coat rock fragments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)

2Bkq2--42 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, calcium carbonate and silica pendants are 1 to 5 mm thick around rock fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 4 miles west and 6 miles south of Marsing; 1000 feet west and 1150 feet north of the southeast corner of section 35, T.2 N., R.5 W.; 43 degrees, 27 minutes, 42 seconds North Latitude and 116 degrees, 53 minutes, 24 seconds West Longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to lithologic discontinuity - 10 to 25 inches
Depth to calcium carbonates - 10 to 25 inches
Particle-size control section - 15 to 25 percent clay; 35 to 60 percent rock fragments
Average annual soil temperature - 52 to 54 degrees F.

A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Rock fragments - 15 to 35 percent

Bw horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - GR-CL, GRV-CL, or GR-L
Clay content - 24 to 30 percent
Rock fragments - 25 to 50 percent
Reaction (pH) - slightly acid or neutral

2Bkq horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Texture - GRV-SL, GRV-L, or GRX-SL
Clay content - 8 to 20 percent
Rock fragments - 35 to 70 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 25 percent
Reaction (pH) - moderately or strongly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bluegulch, Cewet, Darkcanyon, Lonegrave, Finley, Kiona, Mackey, Minat, Nibbs, Panlee, Veet and Veta series. Bluegulch soils have neutral Bk horizons. Cewet, Darkcanyon, Lonegrave and Mackey soils are less than 40 inches deep. Finley soils are sandy below 20 to 40 inches. Kiona and Veta soils average less than 15 percent clay throughout. Minat soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F. and are slightly to moderately alkaline in the A and Bw horizons. Nibbs soils have stratified sand and gravel at depths of 21 to 41 inches and are slightly or moderately alkaline in the A and Bw horizons. Panlee soils are greater than 30 inches to lime. Veet soils have a period of appreciable summer moisture for 10 to 20 days in the summer.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Graveya soils are moderately steep on backslopes and footslopes of foothills at elevations of 2,400 to 3,600 feet. Slopes range from 8 to 35 percent. These soils formed in slope alluvium from welded rhyolitic tuff, mixed in the lower part with lacustrine sediments. The climate is cool and moist in winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 12 inches. Average annual temperature ranges from 50 to 52 degrees F. Frost-free period is 125 to 145 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ratsnest and Willhill series. Both soils are moderately deep. Ratsnest soils formed in lacustrine deposits and are on toeslopes. Willhill soils formed over bedrock and are on similar landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Graveya soils are used mainly for rangeland, mining sites and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Sandberg bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Graveya soils are of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County Area, Idaho, 1992.

REMARKS: This revision (8/95) changes the classification from Xerollic Camborthids to Xeric Haplocalcids according to the 1994 edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The remainder of the OSD has not been updated since 5/93.

Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:

Ochric epipedon - zone 0 to 8 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)

Cambic horizon - zone 8 to 22 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)

Calcic horizon - zone 22 to 60 inches (2Bkq1 and 2Bkq2 horizons)

Particle-size control section - zone 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw1, the Bw2, and part of the 2Bkq1 horizons)

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.