LOCATION SNAKE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, carbonatic, mesic Aquic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Snake silt loam - rangeland (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Alca 0-8"--Grayish brown (1OYR 5/2) (light brownish gray 1OYR 6/2, crushed) heavy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (1OYR 3/2) (dark grayish brown 1OYR 4/2, crushed) moist; moderate fine and very fine granular structure but weak medium platy in upper 3 inches; slightly hard, friable, sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Clca 8-13"--Light brownish gray (1OYR 6/2) heavy silt loam, dark grayish brown (1OYR 4/2) moist; very weak coarse prismatic structure that parts to moderate fine and very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine intergtitial and tubular pores and few fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous, few lighter colored and more calcareous splotches; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
C2ca 13-23"--Pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) (grayish brown 1OYR 5/2, crushed) moist; splotches of white (7.5YR 8/2); very weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common very fine to medium roots; common very fine interstitial and many very fine and few fine tubular pores; very strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
C3ca 23-34"--Pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (1OYR 4/2) (grayish brown 1OYR 5/2, crushed) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; very strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
C4ca 34-48"--White (1OYR 8/2) silty clay loam, light brownish gray (1OYR 6/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; few coarse faint coarse dark yellowish brown (1OYR 4/4) moist mottles; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; few snail shells; moderately calcareous, few indurated calcium carbonate nodules; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
C5g 48-58"--Light gray (2.5Y 7/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) moist; many medium and coarse prominent greenish black and dark brown moist mottles; massive; very hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common ironmanganese concretions; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
Type Location: Bingham County, Idaho; about 8 miles west of Fort Hall; 1,900 feet north and 1,200 feet west of SW corner sec. 34, T.4S., R.33E.
Range in Characteristics: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 53 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 50 to 70 consecutive days in late summer. A part of the soil above a depth of 40 inches is saturated with water at some period from a fluctuating water table. More than 1/3 of the finer than 0.002mm. fraction is carbonates and the apparent texture of the control section is fine-silty. The soil above the water table is calcareous throughout and the part above 40 inches contains more than 40 percent carbonates. The soils are generally slightly to strongly affected by salts and alkali. The lO-to 40-inch control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent particles coarser than very fine sand. A layer above a depth of 40 inches contains more than 20 percent volcanic glass or other vitric pyroclastic materials in the very fine sand or silt fraction. The mollic epipedon is estimated to contain 2 to 6 percent organic matter in the upper 7 inches and averages more than 1 percent to a depth of 15 inches. Dark colors are masked by the pigment of the lime. The Ap horizon or the upper horizons when mixed to a depth of 7 inches have hue of 1OYR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It ranges from weak platy to moderate or strong fine and very fine granular structure. This horizon has about 40 to 45 percent carbonates and pH is 8.0 to 9.2. The Cca horizon has hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR and chroma of 1 or 2. It is dominantly silty clay loam but ranges from silt loam to clay loam or silty clay. This horizon has pH of 7.8 to 9.2. It averages at least 40 percent carbonates in the lO-to 40-inch control section and ranges from 30 to 50 percent in individual horizons.
Competing Series and their Differentiae: These are the Bramwell, Decker, Gooch, Leeton, Rafael, and Zunhall series. These soils have less than 20 percent volcanic glass. Bramwell soils have silty laminated layers below a depth of 15 to 40 inches and have less than 40 percent carbonates. Decker soils have more than 15 percent particles coarser than very fine sand and less than 40 percent carbonates in the control section. Gooch soils are fine-loamy and have a water table near the surface most of the time. Leeton soils have a 5YR hue throughout. Rafael soils have mottles above a depth of 20 inches, lack a calcic horizon containing more than 40 percent carbonates, and are usually moist. Zunhall soils have a mean annual soil temperature colder than 47 degreees F.
Setting: Snake soils are on level to very gently sloping low terraces and bottomlands at elevations of 3,000 to 4,500 feet. Slopes are mostly less than 2 percent. The parent material is silty alluvium from mixed sources. The semiarid climate has a mean annual precipitation of 8 to 12 inches and a freeze-free period of 100 to 145 days.
Principal Associated Soils: These are the Heiseton, Parehat, and Peteetneet soils. These soils lack a calcic horizon.
Drainage and Permeability: Somewhat poorly or moderately well drained; slow or very slow runoff; slow permeability. Fluctuating water table at depths of 20 to 50 inches.
Use and Vegetation: Used primarily for grazing. Some is used for hay. The natural vegetation is mainly alkali cordgrass, saltgrass, alkali sacaton, snakeweed, rabbitbrush, greasewood, big sagebrush, western wheatgrass, creeping wildrye, giant wildrye, alkali bluegrass, wild licorice shrubby cinquefoil, carex, iuncus, plantain, and associated forbs.
Distribution and Extent: Southeastern Idaho. This series is inextensive.
Series Established: Portneuf Area, Idaho, 1918.
Remarks: Classified formerly as Calcium Carbonate Solonchak soils.
OSED scanned by NSSQA. Last revised by state on 8/73.