LOCATION GROUSECREEK IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Grousecreek gravelly sandy loam-woodland - on a 60 percent north-facing slope at 5,560 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
O--0 to 1.5 inches; Douglas-fir needles and forest litter.
A--1.5 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable; common fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 10 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Bw--13 to 33 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable; few medium and coarse roots; few fine tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles, slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (14 to 20 inches thick)
C--33 to 51 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable; few medium and coarse roots; 50 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0). (19 to 40 inches thick)
R--51 inches; slightly weathered quartz diorite.
TYPE LOCATION: Elmore County, Idaho; about 1500 feet north and 1950 feet east of the southwest corner sec. 4, T. 3 N., R. 10 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F.
Reaction in the profile - moderately acid to neutral
Coarse fragments in the control section - 40 to 75 percent
Mollic epipedon - 8 to 16 inches thick
Base saturation - 55 to 75 percent
Clay content in control section - 12 to 18 percent
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 60 inches
A horizon
Value, 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma, dry and moist - 2 or 3
Bw horizon
Value, 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma, dry and moist - 3 or 4
Texture - GRV-SL, GRV-COSL, CBV-COSL
Gravel and cobbles - 35 to 60 percent
C horizon
Value, 6 to 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma, dry and moist - 3 or 4
Texture - GRV-LS, GRV-COSL, GRX-LS, CBV-LS, CBX-LS
Gravel and cobbles - 40 to 80 percent
Stones - 0 to 10 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crumley, Eagleson, Patio, Sutkin, Terracecreek, and Zeb series. Crumley soils are very deep. Eagleson and Terracecreek soils soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Patio soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Sutkin soils are very deep and have 18 to 30 percent clay in the control section. Zeb soils are very deep and have 5 to 12 percent clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Grousecreek soils are on mountain slopes at elevations of 4,500 to 7,000 feet. Slopes are 20 to 70 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from intermediate intrusive rocks. The average annual precipitation is 23 to 30 inches. The average annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Coski, Broad Canyon, Quartzburg, and Switchback soils. Coski and Broad Canyon soils have a cryic temperature regime. Quartzburg and Switchback soils have ochric epipedons. Coski and Broad Canyon soils are associated with Grousecreek soils on north and east-facing mountain slopes. Quartzburg and Switchback soils are associated with Grousecreek soils on south and west-facing mountain slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is medium to very rapid; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, wildlife habitat, grazing, recreation, and watershed. The natural vegetation is a mixed stand of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. Understory vegetation consists of ninebark, spirea, mountain maple, mountain snowberry, chokecherry, Oregon grape, and elk sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern part of the Idaho Batholith in central Idaho. Grousecreek soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elmore County Area, Idaho, 1986.
REMARKS: Formerly classified as loamy-skeletal,mixed Typic
Haploborolls.
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 12 inches (the A horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 12 to 32 inches (the Bw horizon).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches.