LOCATION SNOWSLIDE IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Snowslide very gravelly loam - on a 2 percent northwest-facing slope at an elevation of 5,300 feet in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on April 20, 1977, the soil was moist to 10 inches and dry below this depth.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thin and medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; common very fine, and few fine and medium vesicular pores; 40 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, and few fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles; lime occurs as few, fine and medium soft masses; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 21 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely cobbly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine irregular pores; 40 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles; lime is disseminated throughout horizon; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bk2--21 to 30 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 85 percent pebbles; lime is disseminated throughout horizon; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
Bk3--30 to 38 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots common; very fine and fine irregular pores; 90 percent pebbles; lime occurs as filaments and soft masses; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk4--38 to 55 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 90 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2Bk5--55 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine tubular pores; 25 percent pebbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 4.5 miles east of Challis, Idaho, about 250 feet south and 1,700 feet east from the northwest corner, sec. 31, T. 14 N., R. 20 E.
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 45 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 59 to 63 degrees F.
Depth to carbonates - 0 to 3 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 3 to 12 inches
Reaction of profile - slightly through strongly alkaline
Particle-size control section:
Weighted average total clay - 10 to 18 percent
Carbonate free clay - 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 50 to 90 percent
A horizon
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 0 to 10 percent
Bk horizons
Value - 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry and moist
Texture - GRX-L, GRX-SL, CBX-L, GRX-S, GRX-LCOS, GRV-L, GRV-SIL, GRV-SL
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 35 percent
SAR - 5 to 10
Electrical conductivity of 8 to 16 mmhos per centimeter
The lower part lacks identifiable secondary carbonates.
2Bk horizon is absent in some pedons. Bkq horizons are present in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cambarge(T), Garita, and Mitring series. Cambarge soils have very gravelly sandy 2C horizons at 26 to 40 inches. Garita soils have 18 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Mitring soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Snowslide soils are on foothills and fan terraces and have slopes of 1 to 40 percent. Elevations are 4,000 to 6,500 feet. The soils formed in alluvium and colluvium weathered from mixed geologic sources. The climate is cold and moist in winter and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 10 inches. Average summer air temperature is 60 to 65 degrees F, and average annual soil temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free period is 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dacont, Dawtonia, Farvant, Leatherman, Mogg, Ringle, Simeroi, and Whitecloud soils. Whitecloud and Ringle soils are on fan terraces and have sandy skeletal control sections. Dacont, and Dawtonia soils are on mountains and foothills and have argillic horizons. Leatherman soils are on fan terraces and are shallow to a duripan. Farvant soils are on foothills and are shallow to paralithic contact. Mogg soils are on foothills and mountains and are shallow to bedrock. Simeroi soils are on fan terraces, foothills and mountains and have an aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly shadscale, Indian ricegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and bud sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 9 to 38 inches (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons).
The particle-size control section is the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bk1, the Bk2, Bk3, and part of the Bk4 horizons).