LOCATION MATHON ID
Established Series
Rev. WJ/GHL
08/2021
MATHON SERIES
The Mathon series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in eolian deposits partially of basaltic origin. These soils are on basalt plains and have slopes of 2 to 20 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 millimeters.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Mathon loamy sand, native grass. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 13 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine and fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)
Bw--13 to 64 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 56 cm thick)
Bk1--64 to 94 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly plastic; many very fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; common lime veins and splotches; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 64 cm thick)
Bk2--94 to 157 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few basalt pebbles and cobbles; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt and smooth boundary. (30 to 76 cm thick)
2R--157 cm, basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Idaho; 450 feet south, about 137 meters east of the N1/4 corner, sec. 34, T.7N., R.37E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 5 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 50 cm is about 19 degrees C.
The soils are usually moist, but are dry between depths of 8 and 24 inches for a continuous period of about 45 days in the late summer.
Organic matter content - of the upper 38 cm ranges from 1.0 to 2.0 percent.
In some areas, the profile contains up to 10 percent basalt pebbles and cobbles. Bedrock is at depths of 100 to 165 cm.
A horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry
B horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Bk horizon
Value: 6, 7 or 8 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline (pH 8.2 to 9.0)
Other Features: contains 1 to 10 percent very hard or hard cylindrical nodules of soil material or cicada krotovinas in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Granyon,
Modkin and
Ucopia series. Granyon soils have a paralithic contact at depths of less than 100 cm. Modkin soils have basalt bedrock at depths of 50 to 100 cm. Ucopia soils are neutral throughout the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The soils are on basalt plains at an elevation of about 1495 meters. Slopes range from 2 to 20 percent. The soils formed in moderately coarse textured eolian deposits partially of basaltic origin. The climate is semiarid with dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 280 millimeters including 300 to 910 mm of snowfall. The average freeze-free period is 80 to 115 days. Maximum precipitation is in May and June.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Bondranch and
Grassy Butte soils and the competing
Modkin soils. Bondranch soils have basalt at depths of 25 to 50 cm. Grassy Butte soils have loamy sand texture in the 25- to 100-cm control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for range. The natural vegetation is big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, antelope bitterbrush, needle-and-thread grass, sod wheatgrasses, Indian ricegrass and Nevada bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Idaho, 1975.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 2/75.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.