LOCATION HOUK IDEstablished Series
The Houk series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils on
low terraces and bottomlands. They formed in mixed alluvium weathered
from andesite, granite, rhyolite, and basalt. Permeability is slow.
Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The average annual precipitation is about
14 inches and the average annual air temperature is about 41 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Argiaquic Xeric Argialbolls
Argialbolls.
TYPICAL PEDON: Houk silty clay loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry
soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray
(10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting
to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, sticky
and plastic; many fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores;
slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
E--8 to 13 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR
4/1) moist; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate medium and
coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and
slightly plastic; many fine roots; common very fine vesicular and many
very fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth
boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--13 to 25 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray
(10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate
medium angular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many
fine roots; many fine tubular pores; common thin gray (10YR 6/1) silt
coatings on vertical faces of peds; common thin clay films on vertical
faces of peds and in pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
(10 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--25 to 31 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay; black (10YR 2/1)
moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium
angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic;
many fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous thin
clay films on ped faces and in pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2);
gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
Btk1--31 to 38 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam, very dark gray
(10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to
moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and
very plastic; many fine roots; few fine tubular pores; many thin clay
films on faces of peds in pores; common medium rounded soft lime
masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 8
inches thick)
Btk2--38 to 46 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam, very dark gray
(10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to
moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic;
many very fine roots on vertical faces of peds; few very fine tubular
pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine
manganese concretions; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH
8.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
Bgk--46 to 57 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) sandy clay loam, gley
colors are dark greenish gray (5G 4/1) and dark bluish gray (5B 4/1)
moist; common medium prominent mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and
brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and
slightly plastic; many fine roots; lime segregated in common fine
rounded soft masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH
8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 12 inches thick)
Bg--57 to 61 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) sandy loam, dark greenish gray
(5G 4/1) moist; common prominent mottles, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6),
dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and greenish gray (5GY 6/1) moist;
massive; very weakly cemented; hard, firm; moderately alkaline (pH
8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Camas County, Idaho; 4 miles west and 3 miles south of
Fairfield; 490 feet west and 50 feet north of the SE corner of section
26, T. 1 S., R. 13 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 45 degrees F
Depth to water table - 30 to 60 inches; April through September
Depth to mottles - 30 to 46 inches
Clay content in control section - 35 to 60 percent
Ap or A horizon
Value- 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma- 1 or 2
E horizon
Hue- 10YR or 2.5Y
Value- 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma- 1 or 2
Texture - SL, SICL
Bt horizon
Hue- 10YR, 2.5Y or neutral
Value- 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma- 0 through 2
Texture - CL, C
Reaction - neutral to moderately alkaline
Bg horizon
Texture - stratified SL, SCL
Other features - a thin manganese layer is present below 50 inches in
some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Nettleton series. Nettleton soils lack
lime and are strongly to medium acid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Houk soils are on low terraces and bottomlands and
have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in alluvium weathered
from andesite, granite, rhyolite, quartzite and some basalt.
Elevations are 4,800 to 5,500 feet. Average annual precipitation is 12
to 16 inches. Average January temperature is 15 degrees F; average
July temperature is 66 degrees F; and average annual temperature is 39
to 45 degrees F. Frost-free period is about 65 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brinegar, Marshdale,
Strom, and Vodermaier soils. Brinegar soils are moderately well
drained and lack an E horizon. Marshdale soils are poorly drained and
lack a Bt horizon. Strom soils lack an E horizon. Vodermaier soils
are well drained, lack a Bt horizon and are sandy. Vodermaier soils
are on high terraces. The other associated soils are on landscape
positions similar to Houk soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very slow runoff;
slow permeability; frequent overflow in the spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for pasture, dry cropland, and some
irrigated cropland. Crops are small grain and hay. Vegetation is
silver sagebrush, foxtail barley, water tolerant grasses, common camas
and willows.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern and south-central Idaho. The
soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Camas County, Idaho, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this
pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 8 inches (Ap horizon).
Albic horizon - the zone from 8 to 13 inches (E horizon).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 13 to 46 inches (Bt horizon).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 13 to 33 inches (upper 20
inches of the argillic horizon).
National Cooperative Soil Survey