LOCATION MERKLEY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Merkley silt loam, irrigated hayland; on a 1 percent slope at 5,935 feet elevation. When described on September 5, 1990, the soil was slightly moist throughout. (Color is for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and coarse, and few medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; slightly effervescent; disseminated lime (<2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Ap2--2 to 12 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine, fine, and medium irregular and tubular pores; slightly effervescent; disseminated lime; few fine irregularly shaped soft lime masses (<2 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--12 to 20 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime; common fine irregularly shaped soft lime masses and filaments (30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--20 to 28 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; disseminated lime; common fine irregularly shaped soft lime masses and filaments (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
Bk3--28 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular and few fine irregular pores; 2 percent <5mm very hard lime concretions; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime; common medium irregularly shaped soft lime masses (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bk4--36 to 40 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; 10 percent 5mm to 15mm very hard lime concretions; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime; few medium irregularly shaped soft lime masses (13 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
2C1--40 to 53 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; many medium and coarse prominent black (N 2.5/) soft manganese masses and staining; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime (<3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
2C2--53 to 56 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; few fine and medium prominent black (N 2/) soft manganese masses and staining; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; disseminated lime (<3 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
2C3--56 to 61 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) redox concentrations; few medium prominent black (N 2/) soft manganese masses and staining; single grain; loose; common very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; disseminated lime, (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 0.5 mile west of Wardboro; about 700 feet west and 1,200 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 27, T.13S., R.44E. 42 degrees, 15 minutes, 33 seconds north latitude, 111 degrees, 17 minutes, 20 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 19 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 9 to 19 inches
Depth to discontinuity - 40 to 60 inches
Depth to redox features - 40 to 60 inches
Depth to seasonal high water table - 40 to 60 inches (February through July)
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 45 degrees F
Particle-size control section
Clay content - averages 14 to 17 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - averages 15 to 35 percent
Ap horizons
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry
Calcium carbonate equivalent - < 10 percent
Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry and moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent - averages 15 to 35 percent,
ranges 12 to 45 percent
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
Bk4 horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture - SIL or L
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 10 to 30 percent
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
2C1 and 2C2 horizons
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture - FSL or SL
Calcium carbonate equivalent - < 10 percent
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
2C3 horizon (Absent in some pedons)
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - LCOS or S
Rock fragments - < 5 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - < 10 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Iphil series. Iphil soils are well drained with no redox features above 60 inches, and do not have a discontinuity in the substratum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Merkley soils are on stream terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 5,800 to 6,200 feet. The soil formed in loess and mixed alluvium. Average annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches, average annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F., the frost free period is 65 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Iphil (T) soil and the Lago (T) and Ream (T) soils. Lago soils have fine-silty particle-size control sections and are somewhat poorly drained. Ream soils have coarse-loamy particle-size control sections and very gravelly to extremely gravelly substratums. Iphil soils are on loess covered uplands and terraces above Merkley soils. Lago soils are on silty alluvium covered flood plains lower on the landscape than Merkley soils. Ream soils are on similar landscapes as Merkley, but are on concave slopes when associated with Merkley soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Merkley soils are used for irrigated and nonirrigated cropland and hayland and pastureland. Typical crops consist of small grains. The potential native vegetation is Basin big sagebrush and mixed grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The soils of this series are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Idaho, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 12 inches (the Ap1 and Ap2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - the zone from 12 to 36 inches (the Bk1, Bk2 and Bk3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 12 inches to 40 inches (part of the Ap2, the Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 and the Bk4 horizons. The particle-size control section will be 10 to 40 inches in pedons where the Ap horizon is 10 inches or less thick.)
Additional data - NSSL Sample # S91ID007004 (partial characterization)