LOCATION HUSTON IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Huston gravelly coarse sandy loam, forested -- on a 55 percent convex southwest-facing slope at 3,175 feet elevation. The surface has about 2 percent stone cover. When described on August 28, 1997, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed forest litter.
A1--1 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine, few medium irregular pores; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine, few medium irregular and tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (combined A horizon - 10 to 20 inches thick)
BA--13 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine, few medium tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Bw--26 to 46 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine, few medium irregular and tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; 25 percent pararock fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
C--46 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) stratified very gravelly coarse sandy loam and very gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine, few medium irregular and tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; 25 percent pararock fragments; discontinuous lamellae between some strata, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 2 to 5 mm thick, 1 to 4 inches apart; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Boise County, Idaho; about 3 miles southwest of Crouch; 100 feet north and 1,000 feet west of the southeast corner of section 20, T.9 N., R.4 E.; USGS Banks Quadrangle; Latitude - 44 degrees, 05 minutes, 33 seconds N. and Longitude - 116 degrees, 00 minutes, 53 seconds W.; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to bedrock - 60 inches or more
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
Base saturation - 50 to 75 percent in zone from 10 to 30 inches
Particle-size control section - 7 to 18 percent clay; 35 to 60 percent rounded and subrounded rock fragments
Moisture control section - dry 60 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 10 to 25 percent gravel, 5 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones/boulders and 15 to 35 percent total
Bw horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - COSL or SL
Clay content - 7 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 15 to 35 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones/boulders and 35 to 60 percent total
Pararock fragments - 0 to 35 percent
C horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - (stratified) FSL to LCOS
Clay content - 3 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 25 to 50 percent gravel, 10 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones/boulders and 35 to 70 percent total
Pararock fragments - 0 to 35 percent
Lamellae - do not occur above 60 inches in some pedons
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bald, Briedwell, Fivelakes, Lyville, Mowako, Rockford, Spokel and Suta series. Baldsoils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Briedwell soils average 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have an average annual soil temperature of 50 to 53 degrees F. Fivelakes soils do not have an O horizon, are neutral throughout and dry 90 to 105 days. Lyville soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to a lithic contact and dry 90 to 105 days. Mowako soils average 18 to 30 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Rockford soils average 18 to 30 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Spokel soils are dry 45 to 65 days and are dominated by greater than 60 percent angular granitic gravel size fragments in the particle-size control section and have no stratification of textures in the substratum within 60 inches. Suta soils average 18 to 23 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are 40 to 60 inches deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Huston soils are strongly sloping to very steep on dominantly south-facing fan remnant escarpments at elevations of 2,700 to 5,000 feet. These soils formed in old alluvium from igneous (dominantly granitic) rocks. Slopes range from 8 to 65 percent. Average annual precipitation is 20 to 26 inches. Average annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. Frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Stardust and Zeb soils. Stardust soils are fine-loamy and occur on summits of fan remnants. Zeb soils are frigid and occur on north-facing slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Huston soils are used mainly for timber production. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Idaho. MLRA 44. Huston soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boise County Area, Idaho, Parts of Ada and Boise Counties, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - zone from 1 to 13 inches (A1 and A2 horizons; note: BA horizon has < 1% O.M.)
Cambic horizon - zone from 26 to 46 inches (Bw horizon)
Particle-size control section - zone from 11 to 41 inches
Soil moisture regime - xeric
All depths related to diagnostic horizons and features listed in the range of characteristics are from the top of the first mineral horizon.