LOCATION NARGON IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Nargon silt loam; rangeland; on a 5 percent northwest facing slopes at 5,220 feet elevation with Wyoming big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass. When described on July 18, 1979, the soil was dry throughout. (Color is for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 2 percent basalt gravel, 2 percent basalt cobbles and 2 percent basalt stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 10 inches thick)
Bk--2 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few very fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 1 percent basalt gravel and 2 percent basalt cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 7 inches thick)
Bkq1--7 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; common fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; common hard medium and coarse nodules or cicada krotovinas; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 1 mm thick lime and silica coats on undersides of rock fragments; 2 percent basalt gravel and 5 percent basalt cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bkq2--11 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) stony loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; few hard medium and coarse nodules, or cicada krotovinas; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); 1 mm thick lime and silica coats on undersides of rock fragments; 5 percent basalt gravel, 5 percent basalt cobbles and 10 percent basalt stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (combined thickness of the Bkq horizons is 10 to 25 inches thick)
2R--21 inches; fractured basalt. (4 to 20 inches between fractures)
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, Idaho; about 1/2 mile east of Tea Kettle Butte, about 6 miles southeast of Butte City; approximately 2,400 feet south and 2,500 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 18, T.2N., R.28E. Latitude - 43 degrees, 30 minutes, 04 seconds north. Longitude - 113 degrees, 10 minutes, 00 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS
Profile
Depth to calcic horizon - 1 to 10 inches
Depth to secondary carbonates - 5 to 12 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Mean annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 62 to 66 degrees F.
The soil moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F; 70 to 85 consecutive days.
Particle-size control section
Total clay content - 12 to 27 percent and weighted average over 18 percent
Carbonate free clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Fine sand and coarser - 15 to 30 percent.
Rock fragment content - 5 to 20 percent (average)
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry
Rock fragment content - 0 to 15 percent
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
The upper part of the A horizon is non effervescent in some pedons.
Bk horizon
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures - SIL or CL
Rock fragment content - 0 to 10 percent
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate - 15 to 25 percent
Bkq horizons
Value - 6 through 8 dry and 5 through 7 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Textures - L, ST-L or GR-SIL
Rock fragment content - 5 to 30 percent
Calcium carbonate - 15 to 40 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Atomic, Holsine, Lariat, Lidy, Malm, Matheson, Sparmo and Voltage series. Holsine, Lidy, Sparmo, and Voltage soils are very deep. Lariat soils have average annual soil temperature of 40 to 42 degrees F. Atomic and Matheson soils are deep. Malm soils have 8 to 18 percent total clay throughout the particle-size control section and have sandy loam or fine sandy loam textures in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nargon soils are on lava plains at elevations of 4,500 to 5,800 feet. Slopes range from 2 to 20 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from loess and basalt. The average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 11 inches. The average annual air temperature is about 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost free season is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Atom, Coffee, Deuce, Menan and Techicknot soils. Atom soils are very deep and Coffee soils are deep to basalt and both are on lower positions than Nargon. Deuce soils are shallow to basalt near rock outcrop. Menan and Techicknot soils are very deep, have argillic horizons and are in bottomland positions below Nargon soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for range and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County Area, Idaho, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -
Calcic horizon - the zone from 2 to 21 inches (the Bk, Bkq1 and Bkq2 horizons)
Lithic contact - The contact with hard bedrock at 21 inches (2R horizon)
Particle size control section - the zone from 10 to 21 inches (part of the Bkq1 and the Bkq2 horizons); total clay content minus carbonate clay is less than 18 percent.
This soil is mapped with Atom and Coffee soils that have high SAR (13-30) in the B horizon. This series needs to be sampled for pH and SAR for Sodic properities.