LOCATION RITZ ID+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, active, calcareous, frigid Aeric Fluvaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Ritz silt loam, cultivated; on a 0.5 percent slope at 1,760 feet elevation. When described on October 13, 1970, the soil was moist. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; slightly effervescent (calcium carbonate); slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Cg1--8 to 18 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine pores; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly effervescent (calcium carbonate); slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 12 inches thick)
Cg2--18 to 24 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots, common very fine pores; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; slightly effervescent (calcium carbonate); slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Cg3--24 to 32 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, gray (5Y 5/1) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent (calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Cg4--32 to 46 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine pores; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent (calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Cg5--46 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) thinly stratified silt loam and very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine pores; many medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent (calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Boundary County, Idaho; northeast part of drainage district No. 7; about 1,460 feet north and 420 feet east of the southwest corner sec. 7, T. 62 N., R. 1 E.; Latitude - 48 degrees, 44 minutes, 10 seconds North; Longitude - 116 degrees, 23 minutes, 35 seconds West; USGS Moravia Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 60 to 63 degrees F.
Depth to seasonal high water table - 0 to 24 inches undrained (December to July), 24 to 48 inches drained (December to May)
Buried A horizons - present in many pedons
Snail shells - common in some pedons
Reaction - slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline throughout
Ap horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Texture - SIL, VFSL
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Effervescence - slightly to strongly (calcium carbonate)
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 5 to 10 percent
AC horizon (present in some pedons)
Thickness - 4 to 8 inches
Cg horizon
Hue - 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 1 or 2 dry or moist
Redoximorphic features - distinct or prominent, hue 10YR or 7.5YR
Texture - SIL or stratified SIL and VFSL
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Effervescence - slightly to violently (calcium carbonate)
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 5 to 20 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ritz soils are on low stream terraces and low ridges in a low ridge-swale complex of flood plains. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in calcareous silty alluvium. Elevations range from 1,700 to 2,000 feet. The climate characteristically has warm dry summers and cool, wet winters. Average annual precipitation is 20 to 28 inches and average annual air temperature is 43 to 46 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 110 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bane, Devoignes, Farnhamton, Pywell, and Schnoorson soils. Bane soils are on alluvial fans and are sandy and somewhat excessively drained. Devoignes soils are in depressions on flood plains and have a histic epipedon. Farnhamton soils are on natural levees on flood plains and are moderately well drained. Pywell soils are in depressions on flood plains and are very poorly drained organic soils. Schnoorson soils are in depressions on flood plains and are fine-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Natural drainage is poor, but most areas are artificially drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. Soils unprotected by levees are subject to occasional flooding for long periods (December to May).
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for the production of wheat, oats, barley, clover seed, hay and pasture. Some areas are used for wildlife habitat and recreation. Natural vegetation is mainly western redcedar, grand fir, Douglas-fir, black hawthorn, Pacific willow, redosier dogwood, black cottonwood, thinleaf alder, devils club, sedge, rush, tufted hairgrass, redtop, and quackgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Idaho, Wyoming, and possibly northwestern Montana, and northeastern Washington. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boundary County, Idaho, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 8 inches (Ap horizon)
Redoximorphic features - start at 8 inches (Cg1 horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Cg1, Cg2, Cg3, and part of the Cg4 horizon)