LOCATION LARABEE                 ID+OR

Established Series
Rev. TWH/CLM
09/2013

LARABEE SERIES

The Larabee series consists of well drained, moderately deep soils on hills and canyons. They formed in colluvium weathered from basalt or welded tuff with an influence of loess and volcanic ash. Permeability is moderately slow. Slope ranges from 0 to 90 percent. The average annual temperature is about 43 degrees F and the average annual precipitation is about 27 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Larabee ashy loam -- on a 22 percent south-facing slope at 4,690 feet elevation in forest. (When described on September 13, 1990, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A1--0 to 4 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) crushed, ashy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) rubbed, moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

A2--4 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) crushed, gravelly ashy silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) rubbed, moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

Bt1--10 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint patchy clay films on faces of peds; common faint patchy skeletans on faces of peds; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--20 to 29 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few very fine roots; few very fine irregular and tubular pores; very few faint patchy clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 10 to 24 inches)

2R--29 inches; fractured basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Nez Perce County, Idaho; about 6 miles southwest of Soldiers Meadow Reservoir; about 2,150 feet north and 2,580 feet east of the southwest corner of section 14, T. 32 N., R. 4 W. (Latitude - 46 degrees, 06 minutes 48, seconds N. and Longitude - 116 degrees, 45 minutes, 40 seconds W.)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 10 to 20 inches
Base saturation - 50 to 75 percent
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 46 degrees F
Moisture control section - dry for 45 to 60 days following the summer solstice
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content - 25 to 35 percent
Coarse fragment content - 35 to 65 percent
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral

A horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Volcanic glass content - 5 to 20 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.8 to 1.5 percent

Bt1 horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist and dry
Texture - GRV-SIL, GRV-CL, GR-L, GR-CL, CBV-L, GRX-SIL
Coarse fragment content - 25 to 65 percent
Clay content - 24 to 32 percent

Bt2 horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture - GRX-CL, CBX-CL, CBV-CL, GRV-CL
Coarse fragment content - 40 to 85 percent
Clay content - 30 to 40 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are Getaway, Klicker, Klickson, Millerflat, Stemilt and Sycreek series. Getaway, Klickson, Millerflat, Sycreek and Stemilt soils are greater than 40 inches deep. Klicker soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days and have 0.4 to 0.8 percent acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron in the surface 7 to 14 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Larabee soils are on hill backslopes and shoulders, and canyons of dissected basalt plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. These soils formed largely in material weathered from basalt or welded tuff, with minor additions of loess and volcanic ash. Elevations are typically 3,400 to 5,600 feet but range to 2,800 feet on north and east-facing slopes in Oregon. Average annual precipitation is typically 24 to 30 inches, but ranges to 17 inches in northeastern Oregon. The average annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Shilla and Cramont soils. Shilla soils are deep, have a thick ash mantle, and are on north- and east-facing slopes. Cramont soils are very deep, have a fine textured Bt horizon, and are on hill summits.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production and livestock grazing. Native vegetation is mainly Douglas-fir, grand fir, larch, elk sedge, pinegrass and heartleaf arnica.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central and Idaho and northeastern Oregon and Washington; MLRA 9 and 10. This soil is of small extent.

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 10 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 29 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 29 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Vitrandic feature - The zone from 0 to 10 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Lithic contact - at 29 inches (2R)
Soil moisture regime - xeric

The type location is located in forested area influenced by fire. An organic horizon is typically present.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial lab data available, sample number S91ID-069-100, Lincoln, Nebraska.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.