LOCATION HEISETON IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Aquic Xerofluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Heiseton sandy loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak thin platy structure, parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
A12--2 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
C1--8 to 32 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (16 to 30 inches thick)
C2--32 to 38 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine faint mottles that are yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
IIC3--38 to 45 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few fine faint mottles that are yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
IIIC4--45 to 65 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly coarse sand; about 30 percent of sand is black or very dark gray; single grained; loose; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent pebbles, mostly quartzite; moderately calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Bingham County, Idaho; about 1.5 miles south of Riverside; 150 feet south and 50 feet east of the northeast corner of the southeast 1/4, section 11, T. 3 S., R. 34 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 41 degrees to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 60 degrees to 66 degrees F. A layer within 60 inches of the surface and commonly a layer above 40 inches are saturated during some period. The 10- to 40-inch control section contains less than 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent rock fragments. The solum ranges from 0 to 14 inches thick. The organic matter decreases irregularly with increasing depth above 50 inches. The entire profile is slightly to moderately calcareous, but no distinct Cca horizon is commonly present. The profile ranges from mildly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
The A horizon, when mixed to 7 inches, has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4, or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. Organic matter content is 0.5 to 1.5 percent. When value is 5 dry and 3 moist the thickness is too thin for a mollic epipedon.
The C horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is stratified fine sandy loam, sandy loam, silt loam, or loam. Mottles with chroma of 2 or less are common below 30 but above depth of 40 inches. In some pedons loose sand and/or gravel substratum is below depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Falk, Griver, Hayeston, Hunsaker, and Job (t) series. Falk and Hayeston soils have loose sand and gravel at depths of less than 40 inches. Falk, Griver, and Job soils have mean annual soil temperature warmer than 47 degrees F. Hunsaker soils have a medium-textured control section containing more than 18 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Heiseton soils are on bottomlands and low stream terraces at elevations of 4,200 to 5,900 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. Many areas are channeled. The soils formed mainly in moderately coarse textured alluvium, which may overlie sand and gravel or other stratified sediments. The alluvium is dominantly from quartzite and sedimentary rock sources but contains some rhyolitic, basaltic, and granitic material. The climate is semiarid and has dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 8 to 13 inches. The average annual temperature is about 40 degrees to 45 degrees F. Average frost-free period is 95 to 126 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bannock, Blackfoot, and Wardboro soils and the competing Hayeston soils. Bannock soils have gravel and sand at a depth of less than 40 inches and have a mollic epipedon. Blackfoot soils are medium textured and have a mollic epipedon. Wardboro soils are less than 20 inches deep over sand and gravel.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the C horizon, and very rapid in the underlying gravel and sand. Naturally subject to flooding during most years, but flooding is now controlled to a considerable degree by dams and dikes. A fluctuating water table occurs at depths of 4 to 6 feet.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly cultivated under irrigation hay, pasture, potatoes, sugar beets, and small grains. The present natural vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, cheatgrass, rabbitbrush, needleandthread, streambank wheatgrass, and Indian ricegrass. In places, the vegetation includes cottonwood, skunkbrush, Rocky Mountain redcedar, prickly pear, bluebunch wheatgrass, and sand dropseed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bingham Area, Idaho, 1972.