LOCATION NITCHLY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic Xeric Calcicryids
TYPICAL PEDON: Nitchly gravelly loam--on a 20 percent convex east-facing slope in rangeland at 6,700 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on October 9, 1984 the soil was dry throughout.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular and common fine tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles; thin (1 to 2 mm) lime coatings on undersides and sides of coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent pebbles; common (2 to 5 mm thick) lime coatings and pendants on undersides and sides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bk1--6 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 50 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; common lime coatings (2 to 5 mm thick) on undersides and sides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (55 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8) gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bk2--14 to 27 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine, and very fine roots that are mostly dead; common very fine irregular pores; 55 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bk3--27 to 48 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak thin platy; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine dead roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 60 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (55 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6) gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 24 inches thick)
2Bk4--48 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak thin platy; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 45 percent pebbles; 5 percent cobbles; clayey bands in 50 percent of the matrix; about 2 percent of the matrix contains thin (1 mm thick) soft calcium carbonate masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 3.5 miles northwest of Willow Creek Summit, about 3,000 feet north and 30 feet east from the southwest corner of section 30, T. 11 N., R. 21 E. Latitude 44 degrees, 15 minutes, 18 seconds N., Longitude 114 degrees, 01 minutes, 47 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 37 to 42 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 52 to 59 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon - 3 to 10 inches
Particle-size control section; percent total clay - 27 to 35, carbonate free clay - 15 to 18 percent
Coarse fragments - 45 to 70 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - averages 45 to 60 percent
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 10 to 40 percent
Bk horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 6 or 7 dry and 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 3 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - GRV-L, GRV-CL, GRX-CL, GRX-L
Coarse fragments - 40 to 75 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 35 to 55 percent in the Bk1 horizon and 40 to 90 percent in the lower Bk horizons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nitchly series are on mountain sideslopes. They formed in slope alluvium weathered from limestone. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent and elevation is from 6,000 to 8,500 feet. The climate is cold and moist in winter and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches; average annual temperature is 36 to 40 degrees F. Frost free period is 20 to 50 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the tentative Adek, Meegernot, Skibo, and Zeelnot series. All are on mountain sideslopes. Adek soils have more than 11 inches of precipitation and average summer soil temperatures of less than 52 degrees F. Meegernot, Skibo and Zeelnot soils have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly black sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. This soil is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 6 to 60 inches (Bk and 2Bk horizons)
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of Bk1, the Bk2, and part of Bk3 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Type location S87ID-37-007, 88P15.