LOCATION MIESEN                  ID

Established Series
Rev. CJW/AVY/EMM
10/2013

MIESEN SERIES

The Miesen series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils on low stream terraces, natural levees, and floodplains. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slope ranges from 0 to 4 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 30 inches and the average annual air temperature is about 45 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Humudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Miesen ashy silt loam, pasture; on a 2 percent slope at 2,140 feet elevation. When described on May 28, 1981, the soil was moist to 50 inches and saturated below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots; many very fine, fine, and few medium tubular and irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)

A2--8 to 26 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots; many very fine, and common fine and medium tubular and irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear wavy boundary. (11 to 18 inches thick)

A3--26 to 32 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Bw1--32 to 45 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; common fine faint dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and few fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common very fine mica flakes; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 13 inches thick)

Bw2--45 to 55 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; common fine and medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist redox concentrations; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common very fine mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)

Bw3--55 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common fine and medium faint and distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3), very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist redox concentrations; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common very fine mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.7).

TYPE LOCATION: Benewah County, Idaho; about 3 miles west of St. Joe community; about 200 feet north and 100 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 13, T. 46 N., R. 1 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to seasonal high water table - 24 to 42 inches February to June; July to January - greater than 42 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 44 to 46 degrees F
Average summer soil temperature - 55 to 58 F degrees without an O horizon
Solum thickness - 40 to greater than 60 inches
Umbric epipedon thickness - 20 to 48 inches
Buried horizons in some pedons - old A and B horizons, thin organic layers, thin coarse textured layers, thin volcanic ash layers
Reaction - strongly acid to slightly acid

Volcanic glass content in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction - 5 to 20 percent Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Phosphate retention - 30 to 40 percent
Moist bulk density - 1.0 to 1.2 g/cc

A1 horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - ashy silt loam or ashy very fine sandy loam; some pedons are stratified with thin layers of fine sandy loam
Vitrandic influence in the upper part
Base saturation - 25 to 40 percent in the upper 30 inches

A2 and A3 horizons
Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - silt loam or very fine sandy loam; some pedons are stratified with thin layers of fine sandy loam
Vitrandic influence in the upper part
Base saturation - 25 to 40 percent in the upper 30 inches


Bw horizon
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - silt loam or very fine sandy loam; some pedons are stratified with thin layers of fine sandy loam
Redoximorphic features - faint to prominent and hue of 10YR or 7.5YR

2C horizon (present in some pedons)
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture - stratified silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand
Rock fragments - typically fragment free but some pedons may range up to 15 percent gravel
Redoximorphic features - faint to prominent and hue of 10YR or 7.5YR

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Miesen soils are on low stream terraces, natural levees, and floodplains. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Elevation ranges from 2,120 to 2,240 feet. The average annual air temperature ranges from 43 to 46 degrees F and the average annual precipitation is 26 to 32 inches. The frost-free period is from 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Devoignes, Pywell, and Ramsdell soils. Devoignes soils are on lower depressions on floodplains and have a histic epipedon. Pywell soils are in wet basins on floodplains and are organic throughout. Ramsdell soils are on floodplains and terrace depressions and have an ochric epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high. These soils are occasionally flooded for brief periods from February to May. Some areas are artificially drained and protected from flooding.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for nonirrigated wheat, oats, barley, and grass seed production. They are also used for hay and pasture, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Potential natural vegetation is mainly black cottonwood, quaking aspen, willow, western river alder, black hawthorn, and western redcedar with an understory of pyramid spirea, sedge, creambush oceanspray, mallow ninebark, Rocky Mountain iris, and grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Idaho and Western Montana. This series is not extensive. MLRAs 9, 43A, 44A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benewah County, Idaho, 1975.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Umbric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 32 inches (A horizons)

Cambic horizon - the zone from 32 to 60 inches (Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons)

Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A2, the A3, and part of the Bw1 horizon)

The 10/2010 revision reflects a reclassification from Dystrudepts to Humudepts great group based on revisions to the 11th Edition Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.