LOCATION SANYON             ID
Established Series
Rev. RWW/CLM-JVC
12/2006

SANYON SERIES


The Sanyon series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in alluvium, colluvium, and residuum derived from vitric tuff. Sanyon soils are on hills. Slopes are 20 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid, shallow Vitrandic Calcixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Sanyon very gravelly ashy loam--on a 29 percent slope at 5,300 feet--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 15, 1987, the soil was dry throughout.)

A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; 35 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bk1--5 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--11 to 17 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly ashy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent channers, and 15 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 7 to 14 inches)

Cr--17 inches; soft vitric tuff.

TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Idaho; about 2 miles south of the town of Mink Creek; approximately 100 feet west and 1700 feet south of the northeast corner of section 23, T. 14 S., R. 40 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Mean annual soil temperature - 38 to 42 degrees F.

Mollic epipedon thickness - 8 to 15 inches; includes the Bk1 horizon.

Depth to calcic horizon - 3 to 8 inches.

Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered volcanic rock such as tuff.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 75 percent, mainly gravel.

Volcanic glass content - 70 to 90 percent in the coarse silt through very coarse sand fractions.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent.
Bulk density: 0.80 to 1.00 g/cc.
Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron: 0.14 to 0.17 percent.
Phosphorus retention: 15 to 25 percent.
15-bar water content on air dried samples: 15 to 25 percent.

Bk horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 20 percent.
Bulk density: 1.20 to 1.40 g/cc.
Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron: 0.04 to 0.12 percent.
Phosphorus retention: 30 to 80 percent.
15-bar water content on air dried samples: 10 to 25 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sanyon soils are on hills. These soils formed in alluvium, colluvium, and residuum derived from vitric tuff. Slopes are 20 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 5,000 to 5,600 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 17 inches, the mean annual air temperature is 41 to 44 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 70 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kabear and Staberg soils. Kabear soils are on slightly smooth to convex hillsides and are very deep. Staberg soils are on smooth hillsides and are moderately deep to tuff.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity).

USE AND VEGETATION: Sanyon soils are used for rangeland. The native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. These soils are not extensive with about 1,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 13.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Idaho, 1997.

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

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (A and Bk1 horizons).

Calcic horizon - The zone from 5 to 17 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).

Paralithic contact - The boundary at 17 inches to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (Cr layer).

Particle-size control section and ashy-skeletal substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from 10 to 17 inches (Bk2 horizon and part of the Bk1 horizon).


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.