LOCATION SAMARIA IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Samaria silt loam--on a 9 percent slope at 4,480 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on April 6, 1979, the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium platy structure parting to weak very fine and fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--5 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; common coatings of secondary carbonates on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 11 inches thick)
Bk2--16 to 19 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; common coatings of secondary carbonates on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bk3--19 to 27 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; violently effervescent; common coatings of secondary carbonates on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bk4--27 to 51 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; common coatings of secondary carbonates on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (18 to 30 inches thick)
Bk5--51 to 64 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; common coatings of secondary carbonates on rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4)
TYPE LOCATION: Oneida County, Idaho; about 11 miles south of Malad City; approximately 2,500 feet east and 1,250 feet north of the southwest corner of section 11, T. 16 S., R. 36 E.; USGS Henderson Creek 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 02 minutes 52 seconds north latitude and 112 degrees 13 minutes 10 seconds west longitude, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry in the moisture control section for 60 or more consecutive days following the summer solstice; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 64 to 68 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 15 to 18 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon - 5 to 17 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 18 to 20 percent;
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravel.
A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Effervescence: Slight or strong.
Bk horizons
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly loam, gravelly silt loam, or gravelly sandy loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Slight to violent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 40 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Calita, Probert, and Stoda series.
Calita soils have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Probert soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Stoda soils are deeper than 17 inches to the calcic horizon and have less than 15 percent gravel in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Samaria soils are on lake terraces and fan terraces. They formed in alluvium and lacustrine deposits derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 4 to 12 percent. Elevations range from 4,400 to 5,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches, the mean annual air temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Airport, Highland, Logan, and Sterling soils. Airport soils are on wetlands with greater than 15 percent exchangeable sodium in the control section. Highland soils are on alluvial fans and terrace slopes and have less than 15 percent gravel in the particle-size control section and do not have lime to the surface. Logan soils are on bottomlands and are fine-silty and have an aquic soil moisture regime. Sterling soils are on alluvial fans and are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Samaria soils are used for nonirrigated cropland and rangeland. Major crops are wheat and hay. The native vegetation is basin big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Nevada bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. These soils are not extensive with about 4,300 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Oneida County, Idaho, 1994. The name is from a local community.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 16 inches (A and Bk1 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 16 to 64 inches (Bk2, Bk3, Bk4, and Bk5 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bk2 and Bk3 horizons and parts of the Bk1 and Bk4 horizons).