LOCATION MOHLER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Mohler silt loam -- on a 10 percent north-facing slope at 3,690 feet elevation in a cultivated field. When described on August 14, 1986, the soil was dry to 45 inches and slightly moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
A1--7 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine prismatic; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary.
A2--11 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine prismatic; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.9); clear wavy boundary.
A3--17 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores and many very fine and common fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizons is 16 to 24 inches)
Bt1--23 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine prismatic; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few medium tubular pores; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few prominent discontinuous skeletans on faces of peds; discontinuous clay lamellae 2 to 5 mm thick; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--29 to 41 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine prismatic; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores and many very fine and common fine tubular pores; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common prominent discontinuous light gray (10YR 7/2) skeletans on faces of peds and as pockets within peds; wavy dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay lamellae 5 to 10 mm thick oriented horizontally; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--41 to 50 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine prismatic; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common prominent discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common prominent discontinuous light gray (10YR 7/2) skeletans on faces of peds and as pockets within peds; wavy dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay lamellae 5 to 10 mm thick oriented horizontally; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt2 and Bt3 horizons is 18 to 30 inches)
Bt4--50 to 68 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium prismatic; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common prominent discontinuous light gray (10YR 7/2) skeletans on faces of peds and as pockets within peds; wavy dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay lamellae 5 to 10 mm thick oriented horizontally; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis County, Idaho; about 3 miles northeast of Craigmont, about 340 feet north and 1,980 feet west of the southeast corner of section 26, T. 34 N., R. 1 W.; USGS Fletcher topographic quadrangle; latitude 46 degrees 15 minutes 15 seconds N., longitude 116 degrees 25 minutes 05 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 24 to 30 inches Organic matter content in the mollic epipedon (weighted average) - 3 to 5 percent Base saturation in all subhorizons between 10 and 30 inches - 75 to 95 percent Days dry in the moisture control section - 45 to 60 Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 49 degrees F
Particle-size control section (weighted average) Clay content - 27 to 32 percent
A horizon Chroma - 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist Texture - SIL, SICL Reaction - moderately acid through neutral
Bt1 horizon Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist Chroma - 2 through 4, dry or moist Textures - SIL, SICL Clay content - 24 to 34 percent Reaction - slightly acid or neutral
Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons (Btb horizons in some pedons) Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist Chroma - 3 or 4, dry or moist Clay content - 28 to 35 percent Reaction - neutral or slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hanning, Hendricks, and Van Nostern(T) series. All of these soils are dry for more than 60 days in the moisture control section. In addition, Hanning soils lack silty clay loam textures in the lower part of the Bt horizon. Van Nostern soils are moderately deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mohler soils are on hills on plateaus. Slopes range from 4 to 10 percent. These soils formed in loess. Elevations are 3,200 to 3,800 feet. Average annual precipitation is 22 to 23 inches. Average annual temperature is 44 to 46 degrees F. and the frost free period is 105 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nez Perce, Uhlorn, and Latahco series. Nez Perce soils are on hill summits and shoulders and have an albic horizon, a clayey argillic horizon, and secondary carbonates. Uhlorn soils are on hillsides and are not pachic. Latahco soils are on drainageways and have an albic horizon and redoximorphic concentrations in the Bt horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for cropland, mainly wheat, barley, and peas. Native vegetation is mainly Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Idaho. This soil is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lewis County, Idaho, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface to 29 inches (the Ap, A1, A2, A3, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 29 to 68 inches (the Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 29 to 43 inches (the Bt2 and part of the Bt3 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: This series has been sampled at the NSSL. Laboratory sample number 86P 878, soil survey sample number S86ID-061-003.