LOCATION MELTON IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, acid Humic Cryaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Melton loam, meadow. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; strongly acid (pH 5.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
Cg1--10 to 25 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few to many coarse distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redox depletions; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
Cg2--25 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; many fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redox depletions; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
C--28 to 60 inches; cobbly till consisting of mixed acid and basic igneous cobblestones with light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain between the cobblestones.
TYPE LOCATION: Valley County, Idaho; about 3 miles south of McCall, 700 feet north and 40 feet west of the Southeast corner of section 29, T. 18 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 40 to 42 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 53 to 55 degrees F.
Depth to sand, pebbles and cobbles - 30 to 35 inches
Water table depth - 12 to 24 inches in early spring to mid-summer
A or Ap horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry and moist
Base saturation - 25 to 50 percent
Reaction - moderately or strongly acid
C horizons
Hue - 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value - 4 through 6 dry and moist
Chroma - 2 through 6 dry and moist
Reaction slightly to very strongly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the similar Roseberry and Wasilla series. Roseberry soils have loamy fine sand or coarser control sections. Wasilla soils lack contrasting textures in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Melton soils are on stream bottoms. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from glacial outwash. Elevations are 3,800 to 5,100 feet. Average annual precipitation is 22 to 24 inches. Average January temperature is 20 degrees F.; average July temperature is 64 degrees F. Average annual temperature is 38 degrees to 40 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 60 to 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Archabal, Blackwell, Cabarton and Gestrin soils and the competing Roseberry soils. Archabal soils are well drained. Blackwell soils are moderately fine textured to a depth of at least 20 inches. Cabarton soils have an A2 horizon and a well developed textural B horizon. Gestrin soils are moderately well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for pasture and hay. Vegetation is mainly sedges, rushes, redtop, willows, clovers, fescues, and timothy.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the cold high mountain valleys, mainly in Valley County, Idaho. The soil is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Valley Area, Idaho, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 28 inches (A, Cg1, Cg2 horizons)
Redox features - occur at 10 inch depth
Contrasting textures - occur at 28 inches
Temperature regime - cryic
Moisten regime - aquic