LOCATION GRAMIL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, kaolinitic, frigid Vitrandic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Gramil silty clay loam - in hayland on a 4 percent slope at 3,060 feet elevation. When described on September 24, 1990 the profile was dry to 32 inches and moist below that depth. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) ashy silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary.
Ap2--4 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy silty clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (A horizons 8 to 15 inches thick)
Bw--12 to 19 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common fine and medium tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
B/E--19 to 27 inches; B part very pale brown (10YR 7/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; (E part) very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; B part very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic, E part slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine, common fine and medium irregular and common fine tubular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2Btss1--27 to 32 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse columnar structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; common, distinct clay films in pores and on faces of peds; common, prominent, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt coats on ped faces; few non intersecting slickensides; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary.
2Btss2-- 32 to 39 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; common, distinct clay films in pores and on faces of peds; few nonintersecting slickensides; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); gradual wavy boundary. (2Bt horizons are 11 to 30 inches thick)
3Bss--39 to 62 inches; white (10YR 8/1) clay, light gray (10YR 7/1) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary.
3BC--62 to 70 inches; white (10YR 8/1) sandy clay, light gray (10YR 7/1) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 2.5 miles south and 0.5 miles east of Weippe; about 200 feet north and 2,000 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 26, T.35N., R.4E. Latitude - 46 degrees, 20 minutes, 23 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 55 minutes, 9 seconds West. USGS Weippe South Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of umbric epipedon - 11 to 15 inches
Depth to abrupt textural change - 20 to 30 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F. Frigid temperature regime.
Soil moisture - dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section for less than 45 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice. Udic moisture regime.
Absent in some pedons - 3BC horizon
Depth to perched seasonal high water table - 6 to 24 inches (from November to June)
Ap horizons
Value - 3 to 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures - ASHY-SIL, ASHY-L, ASHY SICL
Clay conent - 17 to 27 percent
Reaction - strongly acid or moderately acid
Volcanic glass content - 5 to 15 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al+1/2Fe - 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Bw horizon
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture - ASHY-SIL, ASHY-SICL, ASHY-L
Clay content - 19 to 28 percent
Reaction - strongly acid or moderately acid
B/E horizon
B part
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 moist
Textures - SIL, L, SICL, CL
Clay content - 23 to 29 percent
E part
Value - 7 or 8 dry and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture - L, SIL
Clay content - 21 to 25 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 2 percent gravel
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
E horizon (present in some pedons)
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Textures - SIL, L
Clay content - 18 to 26 percent
Reaction - strongly acid or moderately acid
2Btss horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR dry, 5YR to 2.5Y moist
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture - SIC, C
Clay content - 60 to 93 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 4 percent gravel
Reaction - Very strongly acid to moderately acid
3Bss and 3BC horizons
Hue - 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value - 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma - 1 to 8 dry or moist
Texture - C, SIC, CL, SICL, SCL, L, SC
Clay content - 25 to 65 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction - Very strongly acid to moderately acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gramil soils are on lacustrine terraces at elevations of 1,600 to 3,800 feet. These soils formed in loess and alluvium over lacustrine sediments. The slope range is 0 to 5 percent. The average annual temperature is 38 to 44 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 30 to 45 inches and the frost free season is 50 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lewhand and Reggear series. Lewhand soils are on floodplains and have a fragipan above 20 inches. Reggear soils are on hills, have a fragipan at 20 to 40 inches and have mixed volcanic ash and loess in the epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; runoff is slow; permeability is very slow. Some areas may have very brief, rare flooding from March to May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for crop production and livestock grazing. The main crops are oats and hay; some wetter areas have very limited production of these crops. Potential native vegetation is grand fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, queencup beadlily, longtube twinflower, creambush oceanspray, snowberry and goldthread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Idaho; Gramil 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:
Umbric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 12 inches (Ap1 and Ap2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 27 to 39 inches (2Btss1 and 2Btss2 horizons).
Particle size control section - The argillic horizon.
Abrupt textural change - At 27 inches; between the B/E and 2Bt horizons.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data exists for the upper 81cm of this pedon; Soil Survey Sample No. S91ID-035-100 (project no. 92P 36, pedon no. 92P 252) Clearwater County, Idaho; data was also collected for a pedon sampled as Setters series and later correlated to Gramil; Soil Survey Sample No. S84ID-035-002 (project no. 85P 122, pedon no. 85P 639) Clearwater County, Idaho; both by NSSL, Lincoln NE.