LOCATION SOLARVIEW IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic, shallow Xeric Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Solarview coarse sandy loam -- on a 64 percent convex south-facing slope at 4,080 feet elevation in rangeland. When described on August 8, 1994, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
AC--2 to 12 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure parting to single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
C--12 to 16 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 30 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
Cr--16 to 60 inches; consolidated stratified sandy lacustrine deposits.
TYPE LOCATION: Boise County, Idaho; about 3.5 miles south and 2 miles west of Horseshoe Bend; 2,050 feet north and 150 feet west of the southeast corner of section 4, T.6 N., R.2 E.; USGS Horseshoe Bend Quadrangle; Latitude - 43 degrees, 51 minutes, 23 seconds N. and Longitude - 116 degrees, 14 minutes, 06 seconds W.; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to paralithic contact - 14 to 20 inches
Particle-size control section - 2 to 8 percent clay; 10 to 35 percent rock fragments
Moisture control section - moist less than 90 consecutive days when the soil temperature is greater than 47 degrees F.
Average annual soil temperature - 50 to 53 degrees F.
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Clay content - 7 to 12 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent fine gravel
AC horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Clay content - 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 20 percent fine gravel
C horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - LCOS or COS
Clay content - 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments - 15 to 35 percent fine gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arrowrock, Canebrake and Glenbrook series. Arrowrock soils have a lithic bedrock contact at 15 to 20 inches. Canebrake soils have a lithic bedrock contact at 20 to 40 inches. Glenbrook soils are over decomposing granite rock with rock structure evident and have a lithic bedrock contact at 24 to 72 inches or more.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Solarview soils are on steep convex south and west-facing hill backslopes commonly associated with landslides at elevations of 2,700 to 4,550 feet. Slopes range from 35 to 65 percent. These soils formed in colluvium from sandy lacustrine deposits. The average annual precipitation is 13 to 17 inches. The average annual temperature is 48 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Van Dusen and Siphonlake soils. Siphonlake soils are deep to a paralithic contact and occur on concave positions on south-facing slopes or convex positions on north-facing slopes. Van Dusen soils are very deep and occur on north-facing slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; medium to rapid runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Solarview soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is antelope bitterbrush, basin big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass and needle and thread.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Idaho. MLRA 10. Solarview soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boise County Area, Idaho, Parts of Ada and Boise Counties, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - zone from the surface to 2 inches (A horizon)
Paralithic contact - at 16 inches (Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 16 inches
Soil moisture regime - aridic bordering on xeric
These soils are drier than other Xeric Torripsamments in the region under similar precipitation due to very low AWC, early runoff and extended period of high evapotranspiration.