LOCATION KETTENBACH ID+OR WA

Established Series
Rev. PNP/TWH/CLM
09/2013

KETTENBACH SERIES

The Kettenbach series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils on foothills, summits, ridges and canyon sides. They formed in colluvium and residuum from basalt, with some loess influence. Permeability is moderately slow. Slopes 3 to 90 percent. The average annual temperature is about 48 degrees F and the average annual precipitation is about 18 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Kettenbach stony silt loam -- on a southeast-facing slope at 2,100 feet in native rangeland. When described on April 26, 1979, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) stony silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

BA--4 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Bt1--10 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine, and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)

Bt2--21 to 25 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 70 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

R1--25 to 30 inches; fractured basalt that has 3 percent soil material in the fractures. Soil material is clay containing a few roots. (0 to 6 inches thick)

R2--30 inches; non-fractured basalt

TYPE LOCATION: Lewis County, Idaho; about 3 miles southeast of Peck, about 1300 feet south and 100 feet east of the northwest corner of section 30, T. 36 N., R. 1 E. (Latitude - 46 degrees 26 minutes, 18 seconds north and Longitude-116 degrees, 23 minutes, 17 seconds west; USGS quadrangle-Peck).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 20 to 30 inches
Base saturation - 80 to 100 percent
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 54 degrees F.
Soil moisture control section - dry for 60 to 90 days in late summer and early fall

Particle size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content - 24 to 32 percent
Coarse fragment content - 35 to 80 percent

A horizon Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Texture - GR-SIL, SIL, ST-SIL, CBV-L
Clay content - 16 to 27 percent
Rock fragments - 5 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 6 percent stones, 5 to 35 percent total
Reaction - slightly acid or neutral

BA horizon (a Bt1 or AB horizon in some pedons)
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Textures - GR-SIL, GR-SICL, GRV-SIL, GRV-SICL, CBV-SIL, CBV-L, CB-CL, CB-SIL
Rock fragments - 15 to 45 percent
Clay content - 18 to 30 percent
Reaction - slightly acid or neutral

Bt horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Textures - GRV-SIL, GRV-SICL, GRX-SICL, CBV-SICL, CBX-SICL, GRX-CL, CBX-CL,CBV-SIL, or CBV-CL
Rock fragments - 35 to 80
Clay content - 20 to 35 percent
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Copperfield, Dillcourt, Hyrum, Jadpor, Ricketts and Sagley series. Copperfield, Dillcourt, Hyrum, Jadpor, and Sagley soils are greater than 40 inches deep. Ricketts soils are dry for more than 100 days during summer and early fall.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kettenbach soils are on foothills, summits, ridges and canyon sides, generally south- or west-facing. Slopes are 3 to 90 percent. These soils formed in basalt colluvium and residuum with some loess in the upper part. Elevations are 800 to 5,000 feet. The average annual temperature is 45 to 53 degrees F. Average annual precipitation is 15 to 35 inches. The average frost-free period is from 90 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gwin, Keuterville, and Linville soils. Gwin soils are less than 20 inches deep and are on convex canyon slopes. Keuterville soils have a mollic epipedon that is less than 20 inches thick, are very deep, and are on north- and east-facing canyon sides. Linville soils are very deep, do not have an argillic horizon, and are on north- and east-facing canyon sides.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid or very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. Potential natural vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, silky lupine, and biscuitroot.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soil is moderately extensive in north-central Idaho and northeastern Oregon and Washington; MLRA 9 and 43A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nez Perce County, Idaho, 1995.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 21 inches (A, BA, Bt1 horizons)

Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 25 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)

Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 25 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)

Soil moisture regime - xeric

Soil temperature regime - mesic

ADDITIONAL DATA: This pedon was sampled for analysis at the NSSL. Laboratory sample numbers S82-2197-2200. Soil survey sample number S82ID-069-003; S82ID-035-002 (82P2193); S82ID-069-004 (82P2201)

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.