LOCATION NEELEY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Neeley silt loam - cultivated. (Color is for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine and medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual smooth boundary.
A2--4 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak very fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; effervescent in some localized spots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 4 to 13 inches)
Bw--7 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; very few krotovinas; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
Bk1--11 to 17 inches; light brownish gray (10Y 6/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common very hard, firm nodules 0.5 to 0.8 inches across; strongly effervescent, common line veins and spots and thin coatings on nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bk2--17 to 33 inches; light gray (10Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many very hard nodules, that slake in water and in concentrated HCL; strongly effervescent, common line veins and splotches and thin coatings around nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 10 to 38 inches)
Bk3--33 to 44 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary.
C1--44 to 64 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); gradual smooth boundary. Combined thickness of the C horizons is 7 to 85 inches thick)
C2--64 to 103 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Bannock County, Idaho; about 150 feet southwest of the center of section 3, T.5 S., R.37 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon - 7 to 12 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 7 to 26 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 54 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 64 to 69 degrees F.
Control section averages - 6 to 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Effervescent - none to slightly
Reaction - neutral to moderately alkaline
Bw horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Effervescent - none or slightly
Bk horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 7 moist
Chroma - 1 through 3 dry or moist
Reaction - mildly to very strongly alkaline
Effervescent - strongly or violently
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 30 percent
C horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - moderately or very strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ellisforde, Mikkalo and Ritzville Series. Ellisforde soils have laminated lake-laid silts at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Mikkalo soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Ritzville soils are noneffervescent to a depth of 36 inches and lack a calcic horizon above a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Neeley soils are on uplands and loess-covered terraces at elevations of 4,000 to 5,500 feet. They formed in loess and silty alluvium. Slopes are 0 to 55 percent. The average annual precipitation ranges from 11 to 13 inches. The average annual air temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. The frost free period is 100 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kucera, Pocatello, and Wheeler soils. Kucera soils are noneffervescent to a depth of 25 to 43 inches and lack a calcic horizon. Pocatello and Wheeler soils have ochric epipedons and lack calcic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to rapid runoff. Moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for nonirrigated small grains and alfalfa. Some areas are irrigated for potatoes, sugar beets, and alfalfa, and some are used for rangeland. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bannock County, Idaho, 1973
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone between 0 and 7 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - The zone between 7 and 11 inches. (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon - The zone between 11 and 33 inches. (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone between 10 and 40 inches. (Part of the Bw horizon, the Bk1 and Bk2 horizons and part of the C1 horizon)