LOCATION PLACER                  ID

Established Series
Rev. GAH-BDG-EMM
07/2013

PLACER SERIES

The Placer series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in residuum from Saddle Mountain basalt, with a thin mantle of volcanic ash. They are on hills on plateaus. Permeability is moderate and slopes range from 15 to 40 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 37 inches and the average annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Placer ashy loam, forested, on a 37 percent slope at 3,150 feet elevation. Aspect is west. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed bark, needles, twigs and leaves.

Oe--1 to 2 inches; decomposed bark, needles, twigs and leaves. (1 to 2 inches thick)

A--2 to 5 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) ashy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular, many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 5 percent fine, rounded iron-manganese concretions; 4 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 7 inches thick)

BA--5 to 10 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular, many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 4 percent fine, rounded iron-manganese concretions; 3 percent paragravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)

2Bt1--10 to 20 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and irregular pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 4 percent fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 3 percent paragravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.

2Bt2--20 to 31 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) paragravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular, many very fine and fine irregular pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 30 percent paragravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (2Bt horizons 11 to 40 inches thick)

2BC--31 to 52 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely paracobbly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist, moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular, many very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent paragravel and 45 percent parcobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0). (0 to 21 inches thick)

2Cr--52 to 80 inches; highly fractured, decomposed Saddle mountain basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 5 miles north and 4 miles west of Weippe, Idaho; about 2,550 feet south and 1,850 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 24, T. 36N., R. 3E.; Latitude - 46 degrees, 26 minutes, 57 seconds North; Longitude - 116 degrees, 1 minute, 17 seconds West. USGS Rudo quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 45 degrees F.
Frigid temperature regime
Soil moisture - usually moist year round and not dry for 45 or more consecutive days from June to October.
Udic moisture regime
Volcanic glass content - 6 to 36 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.4 to 1.15 percent

A horizon
Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 to 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Texture - ashy silt loam or ashy loam
Clay content - 8 to 17 percent
Parafragments - 0 to 5 percent paragravel
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
Bulk density - 0.85 to 1.1 g/cc

Bw horizon (when present)
Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry
Texture - ashy silt loam ashy loam
Clay content - 10 to 19 percent
Rock fragments - 5 to 8 percent paragravel
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
Bulk density - 1.0 to 1.35 g/cc

BA horizon (absent in some pedons)
Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry
Texture - ashy silt loam or ashy loam
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Parafragments - 2 to 5 percent paragravel
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
Bulk density - 1.0 to 1.35 g/cc

2Bt horizons
Hue - 5YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - loam, silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay content - 19 to 32 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 12 percent total rock fragment content
Parafragments - 0 to 60 percent paragravel, 0 to 20 percent paracobbles, 0 to 60 percent total parafragments
Reaction - very strongly acid to slightly acid

2BC horizon
Hue - 5YR to 10YR dry or moist
Value - 4 to 6 dry and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 4 to 8 dry and 3 to 8 moist
Texture - loam or silt loam
Clay content - 18 to 25 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 40 total rock fragment content
Parafragments - 10 to 70 percent paragravel, 0 to 30 percent paracobbles, 10 to 90 percent total parafragments
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Placer soils are on hills on plateaus at elevations of 2,800 to 3,400 feet with slopes of 15 to 40 percent. These soils formed in residuum from basalt with a thin mixed mantle of volcanic ash. The average annual temperature is 38 to 44 degrees F. and the average annual precipitation is 35 to 45 inches. The frost free season is 50 to 110 days (9 in 10 years to 1 in 10 years, respectively).

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bargamin, Dowper and Grangemont soils. Bargamin and Dowper soils are on hills, are very deep and have a thick volcanic ash mantle. Grangemont soils are on hills, are very deep and have 2B/E horizons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, rapid runoff and moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed and recreation. Potential natural vegetation is western redcedar, grand fir, Douglas-fir, western larch and western white pine with an understory of queencup beadlily, goldthread, longtube twinflower, starry false Solomons seal, common snowberry, Columbia brome, common beargrass and Pacific yew.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Idaho. Placer soils are not extensive. MLRA 43A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 5 inches (Oi, Oe and A horizons).

Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 31 inches (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).

Vitrandic feature - The zone from 2 to 10 inches (A and BA horizons).

Particle size control section - The zone from 10 to 30 inches (2Bt1 and part of the 2Bt2 horizon).

The ranges of values listed under the Range In Characteristics for the soil properties bulk density, volcanic glass content and acid-oxalate Al+1/2 Fe are estimates only.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.