LOCATION SKELTER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Skelter gravelly loam on a 25 percent south facing slope, in rangeland at 5,380 feet elevation. (When described on May 9, 1990, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and common very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
A2--2 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2) gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to very fine and fine granular; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; discontinuous, faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
Bt2--14 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; discontinuous, faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
Btq--27 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; few faint clay films bridging sand grains; 5 percent gravel; 5 percent gravel size pieces of broken silica caps; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
2BC--38 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 7/4) stratified sandy loam to extremely gravely fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; 80 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 4.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Gooding County, Idaho, about 15 miles north of Gooding, about 250 feet west and 750 feet north of the southeast corner of section 10. T.3S., R.15E. Latitude. 43 degrees north, 10 minutes, 25 seconds; Longitude 114 degrees west, 41 minutes, 00 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock - greater than 60 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 10 to 20 inches
Soil moisture control section - dry 90 to 120 days in summer and fall
A horizon
Color value, dry - 3 or 4
Color value, moist - 2 or 3
Coarse fragments - 10 to 25 percent gravel, 5 to 10 percent cobbles Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
Bt horizon
Color value, moist - 3 or 4
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Clay content - 25 to 35 percent
Coarse fragments - 5 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles Texture - GR-CL, CL, SCL
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
Btq horizons
Coarse fragments - 0 to 15 percent
Texture - CL, SCL
Clay content - 25 to 35 percent
Reaction - slightly acid to neutral
2BC horizons
Coarse fragments - 10 to 80 percent gravel
Texture - stratified GRX-FSL - SL
Reaction - extremely acid to strongly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buffom (T), Carmack, Elkcreek, Johnson, Mojo (T), Molyneux, Muldoon, Simonton, Suloaf and Trojan Series. Buffom, Carmack, Sulaof and Trojan soils have O horizons and lack strongly or extremely acid reactions in the lower part of the profile. Buffom and Suloaf soils also are deep to bedrock. Elkcreek and Mojo are moderately deep to bedrock. Johnson soils have O horizons and are dry less than 90 days. Molyneux soils lack stratified alluvium and lack strongly and extremely acid reactions in the lower part of the profile. Muldoon soils have a duripan immediately below the argillic horizon. Simonton soils lack Bq horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Skelter soils are on canyon escarpments and hills at elevations of 5,000 to 6,200 feet. Slopes range from 20 to 60 percent. They formed in colluvium and residuum from old alluvium and volcanics. Average annual precipitation is 13 to 16 inches. The frost-free season is 70 to 90 days. Average annual air temperature ranges from 43 to 45 degrees F.
ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Molyneux series and the Stash series. Molyneux soils are found on more northerly slopes. Stash soils are found on toe slopes and are clayey-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mostly mountain big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soils are of small extent in southcentral Idaho.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gooding County, Idaho, 1993.
REMARKS: This revision moves the type location within Gooding County.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this series are:
Mollic epipedon - zone from the soil surface to 14 inches (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - zone from about 10 to 38 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and Btq horizons)
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 38 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and part of the Btq horizons)
Base saturation - less than 75 percent in upper 30 inches.