LOCATION MAXEY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Aquic Xerorthents
TYPIFYING PEDON: Maxey loamy fine sand, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2, crushed) moist; very weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
C1--9 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few fine faint mottles, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
C2--19 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common fine distinct very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mottles, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) and black (10YR 2/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
IIC3ca--26 to 38 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct brown (10YR 5/3) mottles that are dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous, few splotches of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
IIIC4ca--38 to 46 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and white (10YR 8/2) stratified light loam and light sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; few fine distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles; massive, thin laminations; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous, many splotches and fine spots of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
IVC5ca--46 to 59 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) light loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common fine distinct brown (10YR 5/3) mottles, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive, pockets of thin laminations; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine tubular pores; discontinuous layers 1/2 to 1 inch thick that are firm or very weakly cemented; moderately calcareous, common splotches, and fine and medium veins of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
VC6--59 to 63 inches; loamy sand; moderately calcareous; discontinuous layers of white calcareous silt loam.
VIC7--63 to 67 inches; fine sand; calcareous; saturated.
TYPE LOCATION: Minidoka County, Idaho; about 4 miles south of Rupert; 340 feet east and 160 feet south of the NW corner of SE1/4 NW1/4 sec. 16, T.10S., R.24E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 degrees to 52 degrees F. The soils are usually moist and are moist continually between depths of 12 and 35 inches for 50 to 70 days in spring and summer, but are dry for 45 to 65 consecutive days in late summer and autumn. Unless artificially drained, they are saturated in a subhorizon between depths of 30 and 40 inches for a period in summer and have dominant chroma of 2 or less accompanied by mottles due to segregation of iron or manganese below a depth of 20 inches but within 40 inches of the surface. Depth to zones of lime accumulation range from 20 to 40 inches. The 10- to 40-inch control section averages loamy fine sand or loamy sand and has less than 15 percent rock fragments. The upper part of the profile is dominantly loamy fine sand or loamy sand, but one or more layer of moderately coarse or medium texture is at depths of 25 to 40 inches. The organic matter decreases regularly with increasing depth. The Ap horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. However, it is not both darker than value of 5.5 dry and 3.5 moist, both broken and crushed. This horizon is usually noncalcareous but is calcareous in some disturbed areas due to land leveling. The C horizon above a depth of 20 inches has dominant chroma of 3 or brighter and is noncalcareous. Few or common, faint or distinct mottles due to segregations of iron or manganese are in one or more layers above a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES AND ThEIR DIFFERENTIAE: These are the Arloval, Falk, Fallon, Feltham, Letha, Schodson, and Wodskow series. Arloval soils have no layer in the 10- to 40-inch control section that is finer textured than loamy fine sand. Falk, Fallon, Letha, Schodson, and Wodskow soils have moderately coarse textured control sections. Falk soils are noncalcareous. Feltham soils lack mottles due to segregations of iron and manganese and saturation with water within a depth of 40 inches. Letha soils are calcareous and high in exchangeable sodium in the C1 horizons. Schodson soils are mostly noncalcareous in the control section. Wodskow soils have cambic and calcic horizons.
SETTING: Maxey soils are on low terraces with slopes ranging from 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 3,000 to 4,500 feet. The soils formed in stratified alluvium and eolian material from mixed rock sources (sands are dominantly quartz). The climate is semiarid with dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches including 1 to 3 feet of snow. Average freeze-free period is 125 to 140 days.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Arloval, Schodson, and Wodskow soils and the Decker soils. Decker soils have medium textured control sections and have calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; rapid permeability. Fluctuating summer water table is at depths of 30 to 40 inches. Most is partly artificially drained.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for irrigated cropland. Major crops are sugar beets, beans, barley, oats, alfalfa, and pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Idaho. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Minidoka County, Idaho, 1973.
REMARKS: Classified formerly as a Regosol.