LOCATION MEDLO ID
Established Series
RGK/CBR/EED
05/2018
MEDLO SERIES
Landscape--mountains
Landform--stream terraces, fan remnants
Slope--0 to 4 percent
Parent material--alluvium derived from limestone
Mean annual precipitation--about 430 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 4 degrees C
Depth class--well drained
Drainage class--very deep
Soil moisture regime--xeric
Soil temperature regime--cryic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Pachic Calcicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Medlo silty clay loam on a 1-percent slope in an area of rangeland at an elevation of 1956 m
A--0 to 15 cm; silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong very coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common fine irregular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate throughout; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary
AB--15 to 36 cm; silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very coarse granular; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate throughout; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary
Bk1--36 to 64 cm; silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very coarse granular; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and few medium spherical extremely weakly cemented calcium carbonate masses throughout; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary
Bk2--64 to 74 cm; silty clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very coarse granular; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and common medium irregular extremely weakly cemented calcium carbonate masses throughout; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary
Bk3--74 to 89 cm; silty clay, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very coarse granular; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and common medium irregular extremely weakly cemented calcium carbonate masses throughout; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary
Bk4--89 to 114 cm; silty clay, gray (10YR 6/1) dry, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very coarse granular; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and common medium irregular extremely weakly cemented calcium carbonate masses throughout; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary
Bk5--114 to 150 cm; silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common fine and medium and few coarse tubular pores; finely disseminated calcium carbonate and few medium spherical extremely weakly cemented calcium carbonate masses throughout; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8)
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Idaho, about 32 km west and 25 km north of Dubois, Idaho; about 125 m north and 45 m west of the southeast corner of section 36, T. 13 N., R. 32 E.; Fritz Peak U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle; latitude 44.40421 degrees north, longitude 112.63697 degrees west, datum WGS 84 (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--4 to 6 degrees C
Thickness of mollic epipedon--40 to 100 cm
Depth to calcic horizon--36 to 61 cm
Particle-size control section
Clay content--38 to 50 percent
A horizon
Value--2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist
Reaction--7.9 to 8.0 (moderately alkaline)
Thickness--15 to 30 cm
AB horizon
Value--4 to 5 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture--silty clay loam, silty clay
Reaction--7.9 to 8.0 (moderately alkaline)
Thickness--0 to 64 cm
Bk horizon
Hue--10YR, 2.5Y
Value--5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma--1 or 2 dry or moist
Texture--silty clay loam, silty clay, silt loam
Reaction--7.9 to 8.2 (moderately alkaline)
COMPETING SERIES: None
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--1700 to 2200 m
Climate--warm summers, cold winters
Mean annual precipitation--400 to 600 mm
Mean annual air temperature--3 to 5 degrees C
Frost-free period--30 to 60 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Chips--fine-loamy particle-size class; on stream terraces and fan remnants
Raynoldson--loamy-skeletal particle-size class; on stream terraces and lower fan remnants
Sawtelpeak--seasonal high water table at a depth of 25 to 50 cm (poorly drained); on flood plains and stream terraces
Sudpeak--redoximorphic features; on stream terraces and flood plains
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major uses--production of pasture and hay, wildlife habitat
Potential natural vegetation--mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, lupine, bluegrass, horsebrush, sedges, cinquefoil
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lost River Valleys and Mountains of MLRA 12 and Central Rocky Mountains of MLRA 43B in Idaho; small extent
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County, Idaho; 2018
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon
*Mollic epipedon--zone from the surface to a depth of 64 cm
*Calcic horizon--zone from 36 to 150 cm
*Particle-size control section--zone from 25 to 100 cm
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.