LOCATION LEDGEHOLLOW IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, shallow Xeric Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ledgehollow gravelly loam, in rangeland; on an 8 percent slope at an elevation of 6,750 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--9 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 15 percent gravel and 15 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
2Cr--15 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/1) weakly consolidated ash.
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 3 miles west of Bennington, Idaho; about 1,065 feet west and 1,435 feet south of the northeast corner of section 2, T. 12 S., R. 43 E. (42 degrees 24 minutes 41.8 seconds North Latitude and 111 degrees 23 minutes 25.4 seconds West Longitude)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section usually moist, dry in all parts for 45 consecutive days or more in the four months following the summer solstice. Xeric moisture regime.
Thickness of mollic epipedon 12 to 15 inches
Depth to paralithic contact 10 to 20 inches
Average annual soil temperature 39 to 42 degrees F. Cryic soil temperature regime.
Average summer soil temperature 54 to 59 degrees F.
Particle-size control section
Clay content 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 20 percent
Para rock fragments 5 to 20 percent in the lower part
A horizon
Chroma 2 dry or moist
Textures gravelly loam, loam
Clay content 16 to 20 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)
Bt1 horizon
Value 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam,
Clay content 20 to 28 percent
Rock fragments 0 to 20 percent gravel
Reaction neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)
Bt2 horizon
Value 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, paragravelly clay loam
Clay content 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragments 5 to 20 percent gravel
Pararock fragments 5 to 20 percent paragravel
Reaction neutral (pH 6.6 to 7.3)
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: concave saddle positions on summits and on backslopes and shoulders of hills
Elevation: 6,200 to 7,700 feet
Slope: 5 to 40 percent
Parent Material: alluvium over weakly consolidated ash, tuffaceous siltstone and tuffaceous sandstone
Climate: long, cool winters; dry, warm summers
Average annual precipitation: 14 to 24 inches
Average annual temperature: 37 to 41 degrees F.
Frost-free season: 50 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brushtop (T), Cadero (T), Hoopgobel (T), and Richollow soils. Brushtop soils are deep to weakly consolidated material and are on north-facing aspects. Cadero soils are formed in residuum from weakly consolidated ash and are on north-facing aspects. Hoopgobel soils are moderately deep to weakly consolidated ash and are on north-facing aspects and have a frigid temperature regime. Richollow soils have harder bedrock, lack argillic horizon and are on summits.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for wildlife habitat and rangeland. The dominant native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, snowberry, serviceberry, buckwheat, Idaho fescue, prairie junegrass, and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The series is not extensive. MLRA 43B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008. The name is from a nearby spring.
REMARKS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 15 inches (A, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Argillic horizon: the zone from 4 to 15 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Paralithic contact: 15 inches (2Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section: the zone from 4 to 15 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)