LOCATION NUFFER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nuffer gravelly loam, nonirrigated hayland; on a 0.5 percent slope at 6,070 feet with grass hay and sedges. When described on August 21, 1991, the soil was slightly moist from 9 to 63 inches. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Ak1--2 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and coarse and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine irregular and tubular pores; 5 percent of horizon has strongly effervescent lime segregated as few fine irregularly shaped soft masses and filaments; 25 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Ak2--6 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime and lime segregated as many fine and medium irregularly shaped soft seams and filaments; 25 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--16 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime and lime segregated as common fine irregularly shaped soft filaments and seams; 45 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk2--24 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) and few fine prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) redox concentrations; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine and medium irregular pores; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime and lime segregated as common fine irregularly shaped soft filaments and seams and undersides of rock fragments have lime coatings over 10 to 70 percent of surface; 45 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
2Bk3--33 to 46 inches; multicolored extremely gravelly sand; single grain; loose; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine and medium irregular pores; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime and undersides of rock fragments have lime coatings over 10 to 70 percent of surface; 70 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (11 to 16 inches thick)
2Bk4--46 to 63 inches; multicolored extremely gravelly sand; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; many very fine and few fine and medium irregular pores; strongly effervescent; disseminated lime and lime coatings on undersides of rock fragments covering 10 to 70 percent of surface; 75 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 11 miles south of Geneva; about 150 feet west and 750 feet north of the southeast corner of section 23, T.14S., R.46E. Latitude - 42 degrees, 11 minutes, 7 seconds north. Longitude - 111 degrees, 2 minutes, 49 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 26 inches
Depth to redox concentrations - 20 to 30 inches
Depth to seasonal high water table - 20 to 30 inches December through June
Average annual soil temperature - 42 to 45 degrees F.
Particle-size control section (averages)
Clay content - 6 to 13 percent
Coarse fragments - 40 to 55 percent
Present in some pedons
O horizon
A horizons
Value - 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content - 12 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content - 15 to 30 percent gravel
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
Bk horizons
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture - GRV-SL or GRV-LS
Clay content - 10 to 16 percent
Rock fragment content - 35 to 50 percent gravel
2Bk horizons
Clay content - 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragment content - 65 to 85 percent; 65 to 75 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Effervescence - strong or violent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nuffer soils are on low terraces and slightly elevated areas on floodplains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 5,900 to 6,450 feet. These soils formed in mixed alluvium. The average annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 20 inches, the average annual air temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F and the frost free season is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bear Lake, Blackotter (T) and Lago (T) soils. Bear Lake and Lago soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section. Blackotter soils have a coarse-silty over sandy or sandy-skeletal particle-size control section and an aquic moisture regime. Bear Lake and Lago soils are on smooth to concave slopes on the inside curves of the Bear River and on wider valley bottoms than Nuffer soils. Blackotter soils are next to Nuffer soils on lower terraces and in concave areas.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the upper part and very rapid in the lower part; occasional or rare flooding for brief periods April through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nuffer soils are used for nonirrigated hayland and pasture. The native vegetation is slender wheatgrass, tufted hairgrass, western wheatgrass and Nebraska sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 24 inches (the A, Ak1, Ak2 and Bk1 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 6 to 33 inches (the Ak2, Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Ak2 horizon, the Bk1, Bk2 and part of the 2Bk3 horizons)