LOCATION KEHAR IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Xerertic Calciargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Kehar very gravelly loam--on a 31 percent slightly convex, east-facing slope at 5,700 feet elevation in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 2, 1984, the soil was moist to 2 inches and dry below that depth.)
A--0 to 4 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bt--4 to 9 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films in pores and on the faces of peds; 30 percent pebbles (dominantly fine); slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Btss--9 to 19 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly silty clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films in pores and on the faces of peds, few slickensides; 20 percent pebbles (dominantly fine); slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Btk--19 to 34 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films in pores and on the faces of peds in areas lacking secondary lime; 10 percent pebbles (dominantly fine); 5 percent soft secondary lime as nodules; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
2Bk1--34 to 45 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles (dominantly fine); lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on the undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)
2Bk2--45 to 55 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine dead roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles; lime coatings 1 mm thick on the undersides of some coarse fragments; 10 percent of volume decomposing coarse fragments in pockets; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
2Bk3--55 to 60 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very gravelly clay, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine dead roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; lime coatings 1 mm thick on the undersides of coarse fragments; common soft secondary lime as nodules and filaments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; approximately 4 miles east of Clayton, Idaho; about 1,250 feet east and 2,150 feet north of the southwest corner of section 27, T. 11 N., R. 18 E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 15 minutes, 08 seconds North, Longitude - 114 degrees, 40 minutes, 42 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 40 to 44 degrees F.
Depth to argillic - 0 to 5 inches
Depth to secondary carbonates - 7 to 20 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 20 to 35 inches
Gypsum and salts more soluble than gypsum are present below the argillic in some pedons
Control section: percent clay - 35 to 50
Coarse fragments - 10 to 35 percent
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Bt, Btss and Btk horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma - 1 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - CL, GR-CL, GR-SIC
Coarse fragments - 10 to 35 percent
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
2Bk horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma - 1 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - GRV-C, GRV-CL, GRV-SCL, GRV-L
Coarse fragments - 35 to 55 percent
Reaction - Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kehar soils are on mountains and hills. These soils formed in slope alluvium from tuff and rhyolite. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. Elevations are 5,400 to 7,000 feet. The climate is cold and moist in winter and dry in summer. The average annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches; average annual temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F.; and the frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dawtonia, Gaciba, Klug, Soen, Venum, and Zeebar soils. Dawtonia and Venum soils are on mountains and have greater than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Gaciba soils are on mountains and are shallow to bedrock. Klug and Zeebar soils are on mountains and have mollic epipedons. Soen soils are in abandoned lake basins and have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 4 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 4 to 34 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 34 to 55 inches (2Bk1 and 2Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - The upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon (Bt, Btss, and part of Btk horizon)