LOCATION HIGHAMS ID+NV UT WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Lithic Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Highams very gravelly loam - grass and big sagebrush. (Colors for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A11--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; very weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 50 percent dark gray limestone fragments stained weak red and yellowish brown; matrix moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
A12--4 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 50 percent angular limestone gravel and some angular cobbles, stained as in A11 horizon and 1 mm. lime crust on lower side; few sandstone fragments; matrix strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C1--9 to 12 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly heavy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) (dark grayish brown, 10YR 4/2 crushed) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 50 percent angular limestone gravel and some angular cobbles, weathered to pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) in outer edges and coated with 1 to 2mm. of lime on lower side; matrix strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
C2--12 to 16 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly heavy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) (grayish brown 10YR 5/2 crushed) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 50 percent angular gravel and cobbles as in the C1 horizon, moderate lime coating on lower 1/2 of fragments; very strongly calcareous (estimated 40 percent CaC03 in whole soil smaller than 20mm.); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
C3--16 to 19 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly heavy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; about 55 percent dark gray angular limestone gravel and some angular cobbles, weathered in outer edges to pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3), light reddish brown (5YR 6/4), and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4), and coated on lower 1/2 with a 1 to 3mm. thick lime crust; few fine black manganese-iron spots; very strongly calcareous (estimated 50 to 60 percent CaC03 in while soil smaller than 20mm.); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
R--19 to 30 inches; dark gray (N 4/) hard limestone bedrock stained and weathered to reddish brown (5YR 5/4) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/5); also some gray (10YR 5/1) limestone bedrock stained and weathered to pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3); upper surface coated with 1mm. of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (Several feet thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Bingham County, Idaho; Fort Hall Indian Reservation; SW1/4 NW1/4 sec. 26, T.4S., R.36E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 41 to 47 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature at the lithic contact ranges from 59 to 66 degrees F. The soils are usually dry but are moist in some part between depths of 4 and 12 inches or to the bedrock, whichever is shallower for 60 to 75 consecutive days in late winter and spring. The upper boundary of the limestone bedrock is at depths of 10 to 20 inches. The control section is medium textured, contains more than 18 percent clay, and has 35 to 80 percent rock fragments, chiefly angular fragments of limestone. The solum ranges from 0 to 10 inches thick. The soils have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. The A1 horizon has a weak or very weak granular or platy structure. It is slightly to strongly calcareous. Organic matter to a depth of 15 inches or to bedrock, whichever is shallower, averages about 1 to 2.5 percent. The C horizon is massive or has weak subangular blocky structure. It is mildly to strongly alkaline but contains less than 5 percent identifiable powdery redeposited lime in a layer 6 inches thick.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Agassiz, Duncom, Hymas, Hopeka, Kyler, Labshaft, Promo, Richmond, Ridgecrest, Sheege, Theriot, and Wahtigup series. Agassiz, Duncom, Hymas, Labshaft, Ridgecrest, Sheege, and Wahtigup soils have mollic epipedons and Ridgecrest and Wahtigup soils lack bedrock at depths of less than 20 inches. Hopeka soils have bedrock at depths of 4 to 10 inches. Kyler, Promo, Richmond, and Theriot soils have a mean annual temperature warmer than 47 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The soils are on undulating to very steep uplands and mountains at elevations of 4,500 to 6,500 feet. Slopes range from 5 to 75 percent and have mostly southerly exposures. The soils formed principally in residuum weathered from hard limestone, but many pedons have some loessal material or colluvium in the upper part. The climate is semiarid with dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 14 inches including 2 to 4 feet of snowfall. The mean freeze-free period is 60 to 115 days.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Hymas, Ridgecrest, and Wahtigup soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to excessively drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for range, wildlife, watershed, and recreation. Vegetation is chiefly low sagebrush, big sagebrush, cheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, phlox, wild buckwheat, bluebunch wheatgrass, rabbitbrush, and in places, juniper, Indian ricegrass, wild onion or (and) horsebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Limestone uplands of southern Idaho and nearby regions. The series is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bingham County, Idaho, 1973.
REMARKS: Formerly classified as a Lithosol.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 8/73.