LOCATION MELDER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, mesic Vitrandic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Melder ashy loam - on a southeast facing convex slope of 40 percent, forested, at 2,800 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 0.5 inch; needles, leaves and twigs.
A1--0.5 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial common fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
A2--5 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial and common fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly ashy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common very fine interstitial and fine tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; one yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist, clay band 1/16 inch thick; 25 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--19 to 33 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly heavy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial and common fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; three 1/4-inch thick yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist, clay bands; 35 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 16 inches thick)
Bt3--33 to 68 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine and few medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; five 1/4-inch thick yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist, clay bands; 40 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0). (11 to 35 inches thick)
Cr--68 inches; weathered granite.
TYPE LOCATION: Bonner County, Idaho; about 2 miles west of Blanchard; about 700 feet west and 900 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 24, T. 54 N., R. 6 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to weathered bedrock - 40 to over 60 inches
Rock fragments - 10 to 70 percent of whole soil (average 35 percent of textural control section)
Reaction (soil profile) - moderately acid to neutral
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 49 degrees F.
Moisture control section - usually moist but dry from mid July until
October
Thickness of ash influenced layer - 7 to 14 inches
Volcanic glass content - 5 to 20 percent (estimated)
Acid oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe - 0.4 to 1 percent (estimated)
A horizons
Color value, dry - 4 through 6 (dark colors are 7 inches thick)
Color value, moist - 2 through 4
Chroma, dry or moist - 2 or 3
Texture - ashy loam, gravelly ashy loam, or gravelly ashy sandy loam
Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Color, hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value, dry - 5 through 7
Value, moist - 4 or 5
Texture - gravelly loam, very gravelly or extremely loam, or very gravelly clay loam
Base saturation - 75 to 85 percent
Bt3 horizon
Color, hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value, dry - 6 or 7
Value, moist - 4 or 5
Rock fragments - some pedons are very cobbly, extremely cobbly, or very stony
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Melder soils are on mountains and have slopes of 15 to 65 percent. They have southerly aspects. Elevations range from 2,200 to 4,000 feet. The soils formed in material weathered from granite, gneiss, and schist, and a mantle of loess and volcanic ash. The soils are in a subhumid climate with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The average annual precipitation is from 25 to 35 inches. Average January temperature is 26 degrees F; average July
temperature is 66 degrees F; average annual air temperature is 46 to 48 degrees F. The frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ardtoo, Kruse, Lenz, Moscow, and Vassar soils. Ardtoo and Vassar soils lack B2t horizons. Kruse soils have less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the solum. Lenz and Moscow soils are moderately deep to weathered bedrock and lack B2t horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained. Runoff is rapid to very rapid. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. A few areas are used for homesites. Natural vegetation is mainly Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine with an understory of pine reedgrass, blue wildrye, yarrow, spirea, mallow ninebark, common chokecherry, common snowberry, strawberry, and rose.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Idaho and eastern Washington. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bonner County, Idaho, 1979.