LOCATION POTELL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Potell silt loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; thick platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
C1--6 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C2--10 to 20 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many fine tubular pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual irregular boundary. (18 to 26 inches thick)
C3ca--20 to 43 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; many cicada krotovinas which are slightly lime coated; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual irregular boundary. (18 to 26 inches thick)
C4ca--43 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly plastic; few cicada krotovinas; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual irregular boundary. (14 to 20 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Bonneville County, Idaho; 700 feet west of the SE corner of section 15, T. 3N., R. 40E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 43 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 60 to 66 degrees F. The soils are usually dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 50 to 75 percent of time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. The 10- to 40-inch control section is silt or silt loam and contains 8 to 18 percent clay, and less than 15 percent particles coarser than fine sand. The A and C1 horizons are mildly or moderately alkaline. The C2 and Cca horizons are moderately or strongly alkaline.
The Ap horizon, or the upper horizons when mixed to a depth of 7 inches, has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 1 or 2 dry and 2 moist. In most pedons, the A horizon is slightly or moderately calcareous, but in some undisturbed pedons the upper few inches are noncalcareous.
The C1 and C2 horizons have value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Structure is weak blocky or prismatic. These layers are commonly moderately calcareous, with slightly more carbonates than the A horizon.
The Cca horizon is strongly calcareous below a depth of 8 to 20 inches, but lime content does not decrease as much as 5 percent above a depth of 6 feet. These layers have few carbonate segregations and about 5 to 15 percent hard or very hard rounded nodules of soil material or (cicada) krotovinas.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Linoyer, Pocatello, Wheeler and Wheelerville series in other families. Linoyer, Pocatello, and Wheeler soils have a mean annual soil temperature warmer than 47 degrees F. Wheelerville soils have a horizon containing more than 20 percent durinodes.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Potell soils are on south and west slopes of rolling upland or mountain footslopes, terraces, and benchlands. Elevations range from 4,500 to 5,700 feet. The soils formed in deep calcareous loess. Slopes are 0 to 75 percent, but are dominantly less than 30 percent. Summers are hot and dry and winters are cool and moist. The semiarid climate has an annual precipitation of 8 to 13 inches and an average annual temperature of about 41 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ammon, Araveton, Newdale, Pancheri and Polatis soils. Ammon soils have a mollic epipedon and are on alluvial fans. Araveton, Polatis and Swanner soils are less than 40 inches deep to bedrock. Newdale, Rexburg and Pancheri soils have a calcic horizon above a depth of 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for range. Some areas are irrigated for wheat, barley, hay, sugar beets and pasture. A little is dryfarmed for wheat and barley. The natural vegetation is chiefly big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, cheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Nevada bluegrass, needleandthread, rabbitbrush and some forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Uplands and footslopes in southeastern Idaho. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bonneville County, Idaho, 1978.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 4/78.