LOCATION MELAND IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Meland silt loam - on a 10 percent northwest-facing slope at 4,100 feet elevation in rangeland. When described on August 1, 1969, the profile was dry to 21 inches and moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; about 1 percent rock fragments, slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary.
A2--4 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; about 1 percent rock fragments, slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary.
A3--10 to 16 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; about 2 percent rock fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizon is 7 to 20 inches.)
Bt1--16 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on peds; about 2 percent rock fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
2Bt2--21 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on the faces of peds; about 4 percent rock fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt3--27 to 32 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on the faces of peds and lining pores; about 8 percent rock fragments; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
2R--32 inches; basalt; weathered and fractured in the upper 7 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam in the fractures; few fine roots.
TYPE LOCATION: Idaho County, Idaho; about 5 miles southwest of Boles on road to Spencers ranch, about 148 feet northwest along logging road; about 130 feet north and 600 feet east of the southwest corner of section 10, T. 29 N., R. 2 W.; (Latitude - 45 degrees, 51 minutes, 35 seconds North and Longitude - 116 degrees, 34 minutes, 24 seconds West; USGS Wolf Creek Quadrangle).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 20 inches
Soil moisture - usually moist, but dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 45 to 70 days in late summer.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Base saturation - 50 to 75 percent in part or all of 10 to 30 inches. Average Annual soil temperature - 47 to 54 degrees F.
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3 dry or moist
Texture - SIL, L
Clay content - 16 to 27 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 3 percent gravel
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
AB Horizon (when present)
Hue - 10YR
Value - 4 dry, 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - SIL, SICL
Clay content - 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
Bt horizon (absent in some pedons)
Hue - 7.5YR to 2.5Y dry, 10YR or 7.5YR moist
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture - SIL, SICL, L, CL
Clay content - 22 to 30 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
2Bt horizon
Hue - 7.5YR to 2.5Y dry, 10YR or 7.5YR moist
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture - CB-SICL, GR-SICL, GR-SIL, CL, CB-CL, GR-CL, CB-SIL
Rock fragments - 0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent total
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Annum, Boyleston (T), Brownlee, Chirpchatter, Dragoon, Dryfalls (T), Ebadlow, Felton, Fisherhill (T), Garcia, Goldendale (T), Hellake (T), Lompico, Lornena, Mendian (T), Meystre, Quiden (T), Rehfield, Robbscreek (T), Schumaker, Stacker (T), Stardust (T), Updegraff, and Van Horn series. Annum, Boyleston, Brownlee, Chirpchatter, Dryfalls, Ebadlow, Felton, Fisherhill, Goldendale, Hellake, Mendian, Meystre, Quiden, Rehfield, Schumaker, Stardust, Updegraff, and Van Horn have bedrock at depths greater than 40 inches. Dragoon and Lompico soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Garcia soils have average annual soil temperature of 54 to 59 degrees F. Lorena soils are dry for 75 to 90 days in summer and fall. Robbscreek soils have greater than 25 percent medium and coarse sand in the particle-size control section and have rock fragments of granite origin. Stacker soils are dry for 90 to 105 days in summer and fall.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Meland soils are on benches, canyon breaks, shoulder slopes and side slopes of mountains and hills. Slopes are 3 to 60 percent. They formed in loess and silty alluvium over material weathered from basalt and related basic igneous rock. They occur at elevations of 1,500 to 5,000 feet. The climate is cool, semiarid, with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average January temperature is 27 degrees F, average July temperature is 66 degrees F. The average annual temperature is about 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost free season is 80 to 180 days. The average annual precipitation is 18 to 26 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jacket, Klickson, Riggins, and Uhlorn soils. Jacket and Klickson soils are very deep and are on canyon slopes. Riggins soils are shallow and loamy skeletal, and are on convex hillslopes and canyons. Uhlorn soils are very deep and fine-silty, and are on similar landscapes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium through very rapid; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for rangeland and for production of wheat, barley, peas, hay, and pasture. Dominant native vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, silky lupine, and widely spaced ponderosa pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral and western areas of Idaho. The soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Idaho County, Idaho, Western Part, 1976.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to the 16 inch depth (A1, A2, and A3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 16 to 32 inches (Bt1, 2Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - the boundary at 32 inches (2R horizon).
Particle-size control section - the argillic horizon.
Soil moisture regime - xeric
Soil temperature regime - mesic