LOCATION HANDOFF ID

Established Series
Rev. BLR-BDG-EMM
10/2012

HANDOFF SERIES

The Handoff series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in material from metamorphic and granitic rocks with a thick volcanic ash mantle on mountain side slopes and drainageways. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high in the upper part and high in the lower part. The average annual precipitation is about 1195 mm and the average annual temperature is about 4.4 degrees C (40 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy-skeletal, glassy over isotic Vitric Fulvicryands

TYPICAL PEDON: Handoff medial loam, shrubby alder patch, on a 20 percent northeast-facing slope at 1,465 meters (4,800 feet) elevation. When described on August 3, 1994, the soil was dry to 50 cm and slightly moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise indicated).

Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed leaves, stems, and twigs.

A1--5 to 28 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) medial loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 1 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 1 percent fine mica flakes; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear smooth boundary. (22 to 30 cm thick)

A2--28 to 55 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/3) medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 1 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 1 percent fine mica flakes; three large 8 cm krotovinas filled with surface volcanic ash; 10 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 28 cm thick)

Bw1--55 to 75 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly medial loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slighlty hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium, few coarse roots; common very fine irregular, few fine tubular pores; 1 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 1 percent fine mica flakes; 10 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 23 cm thick)

2Bw2--75 to 98 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very channery loam; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots located between peds; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 1 percent fine mica flakes; one large 8 cm krotovina filled with volcanic ash; 25 percent gravel, 10 percent channers, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent flagstones; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 36 cm thick)

2Bw3--98 to 113 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots located between peds; few very fine irregular and tubular pores; 1 percent fine mica flakes; 35 percent gravel, 5 percent channers, 10 percent cobbles, 5 percent flagstones; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick)

2BC--113 to 135 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, non-sticky and non-plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 1 percent fine mica flakes; 50 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 29 cm thick)

2C--135 to 160 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; single grain; loose, non-sticky and non-plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 20 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 5.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 14 miles north of Headquarters, Idaho; about 500 feet south, 500 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 13, T.40N., R.5E.; Latitude - 46 degrees, 49 minutes, 00 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 45 minutes, 56 seconds West; USGS Berthahill Hill Quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Average annual soil temperature - 3.3 to 5.0 degrees C (38 to 41 degrees F.) Cryic temperature regime.
Soil moisture regime - usually moist year round and not dry for 30 consecutive days during June to October. Udic moisture regime.
Umbric epipedon thickness - 30 to 55 cm

Thickness of volcanic ash mantle - 42 to 70 cm
Volcanic glass - 15 to 50 percent
Acid-oxlate extractable Al+1/2 Fe - 1.3 to 2.7 percent
Phosphorous retention - 55 to 95 percent
15 bar water retention - 12.0 to 18.0 percent on air dried samples

A horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture - medial loam or medial silt loam
Clay content - 8 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 2 to 10 percent gravel
Reaction - strongly acid or moderately acid
Bulk density - 0.75 to 0.95 g/cc

Bw1 horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture - medial loam
Clay content - 14 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 5 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 5 to 40 percent total rock fragment content
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
Bulk density - 0.80 to 1.00 g/cc

2Bw horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture - loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Clay content - 12 to 20 percent
Rock fragments - 20 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 55 percent cobbles or channers, 0 to 5 percent stones; total rock fragment content - 40 to 75 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid

2BC and 2C horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry or moist
Clay content - 0 to 14 percent
Texture - Coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, or loam
Rock fragments - 20 to 50 percent gravel, 10 to 65 percent cobbles, 5 to 10 percent stone; total rock fragment content - 60 to 85 percent
Reaction - very strongly acid or strongly acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Handoff soils are on mountain side slopes and drainageways with slopes ranging from 15 to 75 percent. They formed in material from metamorphic and grantic rocks with a thick volcanic ash mantle. Elevation ranges from 1340 to 1710 m (4,400 to 5,600 feet). The average annual temperature is 3.3 to 5.0 degrees C (38 to 41 degrees F). and the average annual precipitation is 1015 to 1525 mm (40 to 60 inches). The frost-free season is 30 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bouldercreek, Brodeer, and Vaywood series. Bouldercreek soils are on mountain side slopes, are frigid and are loamy-skeletal. Brodeer soils are on concave mountain side slopes are frigid and are loamy. Vaywood soils are on mountain side slopes, are cryic and have ochric epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity in the upper part and high in the lower part.

USE AND VEGETATION: Handoff soils are used for watershed and wildlife habitat. Potential natural vegetation is sitka alder, western coneflower, broadleaved minerslettuce, wild ginger, bracken fern, arrowleaf groundsel, broadleaf arnica, western meadowrue, western swordfern, queencup beadlily, and brewers mitrewort.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Idaho. Handoff soils are not extensive; about 1,800 acres in area. MLRA 43A.

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:

Volcanic ash mantle - The zone from 5 to 76 cm (A1, A2, Bw horizons)

Umbric epipedon - The zone from 5 to 55 cm (A1 and A2 horizons)

Cambic horizon - The zone from 55 to 113 cm (Bw, 2Bw1, and 2Bw2 horizons)

Particle-size control section - The zone from 5 to 105 cm. (A1, A2, Bw, 2Bw1, and part of the 2Bw2 horizon)

The ranges of values listed under the Range in Characteristics for Bulk Density, Volcanic glass content, Acid-oxlate Al+1/2 Fe, Phosphate retention, and 15-bar water retention are estimates only.

Additional data: This series has laboratory data S07ID079-001 (08N0353) Shoshone County, Idaho; by KSSL, Lincoln, NE.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.