LOCATION SLIDE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Slide gravelly loam - on a 7 percent south slope at 5,000 feet elevation in rangeland. Vegetation is shadscale and Indian ricegrass. When described on July 16, 1991, the soil was dry throughout. (Color is for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bk--9 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bkq1--18 to 24 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (65 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); common calcium carbonate and silica coats on undersides of rock fragments; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Bkq2--24 to 32 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); common silica pendants and lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on underside of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bkq3--32 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (45 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); common silica pendants and lime coats 1 to 2 mm thick on underside of rock fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, about ten miles east of Howe, Idaho. 2,300 feet north and 15 feet west of the southeast corner of section 14, T. 6 N., R. 29 E.; 43 degrees, 50 minutes, 54 seconds north latitude, 113 degrees, 57 minutes, 12 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The soil moisture control section is dry for over three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 59 to 66 degrees F.
Reaction - slightly or moderately alkaline
Depth to the calcic horizon - 7 to 12 inches
Particle-size control section total clay - 7 to 16 percent Rock fragments - 35 to 65 percent
Bw horizon
Texture - GR-SIL, GRV-L, GR-L
Rock fragments - 25 to 45 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 20 to 40 percent
Bk horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist
Texture - GRV-SIL or GRV-SL
Rock fragments - 35 to 50 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 40 to 70 percent
Bkq horizons
Value - 6 or 7 dry and 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 moist
Texture - GRV-SIL, GRX-SL, GRX-LS, or GRV-SL
Rock fragments - 35 to 65 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 40 to 70 percent in the upper part and 35 to 50 percent in the lower part.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Sandwash series. The Sandwash soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Slide soils occur on fan terraces. They formed in alluvium from limestone. Slopes range from 1 to 45 percent. Elevations range from 4,500 to 6,500 feet. The average annual precipitation is 7 to 9 inches, most of which is in the form of snow. The average annual air temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F. The frost free season is 70 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Inel, McCaleb, Paint, and Simeroi soils. Inel soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock. McCaleb and Simeroi soils are aridic bordering on xeric. Paint soils have a thin duripan above 20 inches. These soils are on similar landscape positions as the Slide series.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to moderately rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly shadscale, winterfat and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Idaho. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County Area, Idaho, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 9 to 60 inches (the Bk, Bkq1, Bkq2, Bkq3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bk, the Bkq1, Bkq2 and part of the Bkq3 horizons)