LOCATION MITRING IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Mitring very gravelly loam--on a 35 percent slightly concave, south-facing slope in rangeland at 5,700 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on June 27, 1984, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 45 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bkq--3 to 10 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 2 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 to 2 mm thick on undersides and sides of coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk--10 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots as mat at upper boundary of horizon; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 85 percent angular pebbles; about 30 percent visible soft secondary lime; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual wavy boundary. (14 to 25 inches thick)
Cr--30 inches; fractured, weathered basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 5 miles southeast of Challis, Idaho; about 600 feet north and about 2,400 feet west from the southeast corner of section 21, T. 13 N., R. 20 E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 26 minutes, 12 seconds North; Longitude - 114 degrees, 05 minutes, 58 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 43 degrees F.
Control section; percent clay - 10 to 15
Coarse fragments - 65 to 90 percent
Depth to paralithic contact - 25 to 35 inches
A horizon
Value - 4 through 6 dry or moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Bkq horizon
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Percent clay - 22 to 26 percent
Texture - GRX-L, GRV-L
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
Bk horizon
Rock fragments - 70 to 90 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cambarge(T), Garita, and Snowslide series. Cambarge, Garita, and Snowslide soils are very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mitring soils are on foothills and ridges. They formed of residuum and colluvium from extrusive igneous rock. Slopes are 15 to 40 percent and elevation is from 5,300 to 6,500 feet. The climate is cold and moist in winter and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation is 6 to 8 inches; average annual temperature is 38 to 41 degrees F. and the frost free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Farvant, Holinrock, Snowslide, and Sprabat soils. Farvant soils are on ridges and are shallow to a paralithic contact. Holinrock soils are on ridges and are moderately deep to hard basalt bedrock. Snowslide and Sprabat soils are on fan terraces and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is shadscale, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. This soil is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Calcic horizon - The zone from 3 to 30 inches
Paralithic contact - The boundary is at 30 inches.
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 inches to the paralithic contact
Percent clay in solum (A and Bkq horizons) - 22 to 26.