LOCATION GRICE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, dysic Terric Cryohemists
TYPICAL PEDON: Grice mucky peat on a 1 percent slope at 3,750 feet elevation. When described on August 4, 1999 the profile was moist throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted)
Oe--0 to 17 inches; black (2.5Y 2.5/1) broken face and rubbed, mucky peat, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; about 70 percent fiber; pyrophosphate color test 10YR 8/4; many very fine, fine and medium roots; extremely acid (pH 4.4 in calcium chloride); abrupt wavy boundary. (16 to 21 inches thick)
A--17 to 25 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bw--25 to 30 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) silt loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Cg1--30 to 35 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; common fine distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Cg2--35 to 39 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; few medium distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Cg3--39 to 43 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Cg4--43 to 47 inches; dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) gravelly coarse sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; massive slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots, many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 25 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 13 inches thick)
Cg5--47 to 53 inches; dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) gravelly coarse sandy loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) dry; massive slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 30 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Cg6--53 to 60 inches; dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 65 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 6 miles northeast of Headquarters, Idaho; about 1,900 feet north and 2,500 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 10, T 38 N, R 6 E; Latitude - 46 degrees, 38 minutes, 56 seconds North; Longitude 115 degrees, 41 minutes, 10 seconds West; USGS Browns Rock Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 38 to 41 degrees F. (Cryic soil temperature regime)
Thickness of organic material - 16 to 21 inches
Depth to apparent water table - 0 to 3 inches throughout the year. Aquic moisture regime.
O horizons
Hue - 7.5YR to 2.5Y moist, 10YR or 2.5Y dry
Value - 2.5 to 4 moist, 3 to 5 dry
Chroma - 1 to 4 moist, 2 to 4 dry
Rubbed fiber content - 40 to 88 percent (weighted average 53 to 73 percent)
Organic matter content (loss on ignition) - 43 to 84 percent (weighted average 56 to 73 percent)
Reaction (calcium chloride pH) - 3.5 to 4.4
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y moist or dry
Value - 2 to 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry
Clay content - 12 to 20 percent
Mica content - 0 to 5 percent
Volcanic glass content - 5 to 15 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe - 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid or strongly acid
Bw horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 5Y moist
Value - 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 1 to 4 moist, 2 to 4 dry
Texture - SIL or SICL
Clay content - 8 to 28 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe - 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Volcanic glass content - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid or strongly acid
Cg1 horizon
Hue - 10YR to 5Y moist, 10YR or 2.5Y dry
Value - 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 8 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist
Clay content - 13 to 25 percent
Mica content - 0 to 3 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
Cg2 and Cg3 horizons
Hue - 10YR to 5Y moist, 10YR or 2.5Y dry
Value - 2 to 5 moist, 3 to 8 dry
Chroma - 1 to 6 moist, 1 to 4 dry
Texture - L or SIL
Clay content - 12 to 24 percent
Mica content - 0 to 2 percent
Rock fragment content - 0 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
Cg4, Cg5 and Cg6 horizons
Hue - 5Y to 5G moist, 10YR to 5Y dry
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist
Texture - COSL, LS, GR-COSL, LCOS, GRV-COSL, GRV-LCOS or GRX-LCOS
Clay content - 2 to 10 percent
Mica content - 0 to 2 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 65 percent gravel
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grice soils are on floodplains, in depressions along streams and in sloping areas below springs at elevations of 2,200 to 4,800 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in organic matter derived from herbaceous plants and mosses over mixed alluvium with an admixture of volcanic ash. The average annual air temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 32 to 60 inches and the frost-free period is 30 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aquandic Cryaquepts, Judgetown (T), Jury (T), Narnett (T) and Trappercreek (T) soils. Aquandic Cryaquepts are on floodplains and have mineral soil to the surface. Judgetown and Jury soils are on mountain slopes, have frigid soil temperature regimes and are well drained. Narnett and Trappercreek soils are on footslopes of mountains and are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; very slow runoff; moderate permeability. This soil is subject to frequent very long ponding from November to July. It is also subject to long frequent flooding from November to June. An apparent water table is present at 0 to 3 inches year round.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wildlife habitat and watershed. Potential natural vegetation is - prickley sedge, Dewey sedge, rock sedge, water sedge, American mannagrass, panicled bulrush, sword leaf rush, water horsetail, elephanthead lousewort, dwarf willowweed, tufted hairgrass and sphagnum moss.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Idaho. Grice soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Organic soil materials (hemic materials) - The zone from 0 to 17 inches (Oe horizon)
Terric feature at 17 inches - A, Bw, and Cg horizons
Particle size control section (mineral soil) - The zone from 17 to 51 inches (A, Bw, Cg1, Cg2, Cg3, Cg4 and part of the Cg5 horizon)
Aquic moisture regime
The ranges of values listed under the Range in Characteristics for the soil properties Volcanic glass content the Acid-oxalate Al + 1/2 Fe are estimates only.