LOCATION QUARTZBURG              ID+CA

Established Series
Rev. WJL/BDG/RJS
06/2016

QUARTZBURG SERIES

The Quartzburg series consists of moderately deep, excessively drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from granitic, quartz monzonite, granodiorite or related granitic rock. Quartzburg soils are on mountain slopes and canyon walls. Slopes range from 20 to 90 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 700 mm, and man annual air temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Xerorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Quartzburg very gravelly loamy coarse sand, forested -- on a west-facing slope of 30 percent. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oe--0 to 3 cm; slightly and moderately decomposed forest litter. (0 to 8 cm thick)

A--3 to 18 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), very dark brown (10YR 2/2) crushed, moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 35 percent angular fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 23 cm thick)

AC--18 to 43 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 35 percent angular fine gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 38 cm thick)

C--43 to 61 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) and very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 75 percent angular gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 33 cm thick)

Cr--61 to 79 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) weathered quartz monzonite (grus); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) and (10YR 7/4) stains; slightly acid (pH 6.5). (3 to 15 inches thick)

R--79 cm; slightly weathered quartz monzonite.

TYPE LOCATION: Boise County, Idaho; Little Anderson Creek Road about 4 miles east of Garden Valley; southeast 1/4 of southeast 1/4 of section 21, T.9 N., R.5 E.; USGS Grimes Pass Quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Moisture control section - dry 45 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Average annual soil temperature - 5.6 to 8.3.
Base saturation in the 25 to 75 cm zone - 45 to 97 percent with one or more layers exceeding 60 percent
Depth to a paralithic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Particle-size control section - 35 to 80 percent rock fragments

A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3 dry or moist
Textures - coarse sandy loam, loamy coarse sand
Clay content - 0 to 12 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent stones, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 15 to 35 percent gravel and 15 to 45 percent total
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3

AC and C horizons
Value - 6 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture - loamy coarse sand, loamy sand
Clay content - 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent stones, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 35 to 75 percent gravel and 35 to 80 percent total
Reaction: pH 5.6 to 7.3

COMPETING SERIES:
Railcity (NV): are very deep
Wellie (WA): are very deep

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - mountain slopes and canyon walls
Elevation - 1,000 to 2,200 meters
Slope - 20 to 90 percent
Parent material - colluvium and residuum derived from granitic, quartz monzonite, granodiorite or related granitic rock
Climate -
Mean annual precipitation - 560 to 1,090 mm
Mean annual air temperature - 3.4 to 7.1 degrees C.
Frost-free period - 30 to 95 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bryan, Coski, Koppes (I) and Toiyabe soils. These soils are on similar geomorphic positions. Coski soils are coarse-loamy. Bryan and Koppes soils are sandy. Toiyabe soils are shallow to soft bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Quartzburg soils are used mainly for timber production, woodland grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, white spirea and mallow ninebark.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Idaho and northeastern California. MLRAs 22A, 22B, 43B. Quartzburg soils are moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Middle Fork Payette River Area, Idaho, 1969.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 18 cm (Oe, A horizons)
Paralithic contact - at 61 cm (Cr horizon)
Lithic contact - at 79 cm (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - zone from 28 to 61 cm (part of the AC, C horizons)

Quartzburg soils have a frigid temperature regime and a xeric moisture regime.

Additional Information: 03/2016 - Classification changed from Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Dystric Xerorthents to Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Xerorthents. Lab data for similar soils from Idaho do not support the Dystric subgroup. Investigation of series concept in California is needed to confirm classification there.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.