LOCATION NURKEY IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Calcic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nurkey very gravelly loam--on a 35 percent, southwest-facing slope in rangeland at 7,850 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 12, 1985 the soil was moist from 0 to 33 inches and dry below this depth.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
BA--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--6 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to 19 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on the undersides of some cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Btk--19 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on the undersides of coarse fragments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--28 to 39 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent by volume areas with many very fine and fine roots and 10YR 3/3 colors; 75 percent gravel; lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on the undersides of coarse fragments; few segregate soft secondary lime filaments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Bk2--39 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 75 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; lime coatings less than 1 mm thick on the undersides and sides of coarse fragments; common segregated lime filaments; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 15 miles east of Clayton, Idaho; in the northern part of Corral Basin; 1,300 feet east and 950 feet north of the southwest corner, sec. 28, T.11 N., R. 20 E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 14 minutes, 56 seconds North; Longitude - 114 degrees, 16 minutes, 22 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Xeric soil moisture regime
Average annual soil temperature - 36 to 42 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 46 to 50 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 8 to 15 inches
Control section - Percent clay: 20 to 30
Rock fragments: 40 to 65 percent
Depth to calcic horizon - 15 to 30 inches
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry and moist
Bt horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4, dry and moist
Texture - GRV-L, GRV-SCL, GRX-L, GRV-CL
Reaction - neutral through moderately alkaline
Bk horizons
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4, dry and moist
Rock fragments - 50 to 80 percent
Texture - GRX-SL, GRX-L, GRV-L, GRX-FSL
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bullville, Blaine, Bowen, Buena Vista, Chamberlain, Elwood, Ess, Ezbin, Fornor, Forsey, Fourme, Fourmile, Geertsen, Hoodle, Latigo (T), Libeg, Nathrop, Norriston, Packer, Parkview, Quander, Tahquats, Teeler, Thiel, Winada, Woodhall, Hodden, Maciver, Nathale, Ratiopeak, Sawfork, Scuffe, Spanpeak, Stopatoe, Tagum, and Zeebar series. Bullville, Blaine, Bowen, Buena Vista, Elwood, Nathale, Nathrop, Parkview, Scuffe, Stopatoe, Tagum, Windada and Woodhall soils are 20 to 40 inches deep over a lithic or paralithic contact. Chamberlain soils have sandy-skeletal material beginning within the 22 to 40 inch depth. Ess, Ezbin, Fourme, and Tahquats soils are noncalcareous throughout the profile. Forner soils have Bk horizons too weak to be calcic. Forsey soils lack Bk horizons. Fourmile and Quander soils have uniformly calcareous material present at depths of 40 to 60 or more inches. Geertsen soils have 0 horizons. Hoodle soils have a mean summer soil temperature of 50 to 57 degrees F. Latigo soils have 17 to 20 percent clay in the particle size control section. Libeg soils have calcareous materials that occur at depths of greater than 40 inches. Norriston soils have calcareous materials when present at depths below 40 inches and 5 to 18 percent clay in the particle size control section. Packer soils are 24 to 48 inches deep to a lithic contact. Sedgway soils have 0 horizons, are noncalcareous throughout. Teeler soils have calcareous material at a depth of 8 to 15 inches. Thiel soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to sand and gravel. Zeebar and Spanpeak soils are noncalcareous throughout. Hodden, Maciver, and Sawfork soils have an ustic soil moisture regime. Ratiopeak soils lack a calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nurkey soils are on mountain sides and foothills and have slopes of 2 to 60 percent. Elevations are 5,500 to 9,000 feet. The soils formed in slope alluvium weathered from extrusive igneous rocks and slate. The climate is cold and moist in winter and spring and cool and dry in summer. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. Mean summer temperature is 53 to 60 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is 35 to 40 degrees F. Frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nielsen, Parkay, Resoot, and the competing Zeebar soils. Nielsen soils are on mountains and are shallow to bedrock. Parkay soils are on mountains and have pachic epipedons. Resoot soils are on mountains and have clayey-skeletal argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, threetip sagebrush, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 11 inches (A, BA and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - The zone from 6 to 28 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Btk horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 28 to 60 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - The upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon or the zone from 6 to 26 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizons and part of the Btk horizon)