LOCATION NICHOLIA IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, carbonatic, shallow Duric Xeric Petrocryids
TYPICAL PEDON: Nicholia gravelly loam -- rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; 25 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (35 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bk--2 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hare, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; 15 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (60 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
2Bkqm--14 to 15 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) indurated duripan, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 3 inches thick)
2Bkq1--15 to 31 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, very firm; nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots in cracks and seams; discontinuous cementation by silica and lime; a laminar cap less than 2mm thick at 15 inches; 85 percent gravel; violently effervescent (65 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
2Bkq2--31 to 37 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and few fine roots in cracks and seams; discontinuous cementation by silica and lime; 75 percent gravel; violently effervescent (75 percent calcium carbonate); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Bkq3--37 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; common silica pendants on underside of coarse fragments; 80 percent gravel; violently effervescent (65 percent calcium carbonate); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Idaho; about 1 mile west of Bluedome, Idaho; approximately 900 feet east and 1,500 feet south from the northwest corner, sec. 31, T. 10 N., R. 30 E.
Latitude - 44 degrees, 09 minutes, 32 seconds West; Longitude - 112 degrees, 55 minutes, 52 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 37 to 41 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 55 to 59 degrees F.
Particle-size control section - 14 to 18 percent clay
Average calcium carbonate in the control section - 40 to 65 percent
Coarse fragments in control section - 15 to 25 percent
Depth to indurated duripan - 10 to 20 inches
Depth to bedrock - greater than 60 inches
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Bk horizon
Value - 5 though 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Textures - L, GR-L
Rock fragments - 5 to 25 percent
2Bkq horizons
Value - 6 though 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 60 to 90 percent
Reaction - moderately to very strongly alkaline
Texture - GRX-LCOS, GRX-SL, GRX-LS
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Windcoat series. Windcoat soils have duripans more than 3 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nicholia soils are on outwash fans, alluvial fans and fan terraces. Elevations range from 6,000 to 7,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 20 percent. The soils formed in coarse alluvium derived dominantly from limestone. The climate is cold and moist in winter dry in summer. Average annual precipitation range from 8 to 11 inches. Average summer temperature is 55 to 58 degrees F. and average annual temperature is 35 to 40 degrees F. Frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bluedome, Windcoat and Surrett soils. Bluedome soils are moderately deep to a strongly cemented pan. Surret soils have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderate over very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used dominantly for rangeland. Vegetation is mainly low sage and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer-Lemhi Counties, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:
- Ochric epipedon
- Calcic horizon - 2 to 14 inches
- Indurated duripan - 14 to 15 inches
- Particle-size control section from 0 to 14 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: S88ID-037-001