LOCATION STRUGGLE ID
Established Series
Rev. SOD-EMM-KLS
03/2023
STRUGGLE SERIES
The Struggle series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in glacial till from granitic rocks. Struggle soils are on moraines. Permeability is moderately rapid in the upper part and very rapid in the lower part. Slopes are 5 to 35 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 580 mm and the average annual air temperature is about 2 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed Xeric Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Struggle gravelly sandy loam--on a 20 percent northwest-facing slope in woodland at 2225 meters elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on August 19, 1986, the soil was dry throughout.)
Oi--0 to 1 cm; undecomposed needles, twigs and cones.
Oe--1 to 4 cm; partially decomposed needles, twigs and cones.
A--4 to 9 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, over half are fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)
AB--9 to 14 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium and common coarse roots; many very fine and fine and common medium irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, half are fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 cm thick)
Bw1--14 to 32 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable. nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, over half are fine gravel, 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--32 to 50 cm; part is very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; part is light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, over half are fine gravel, 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 25 to 50 cm)
BC--50 to 73 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common medium and coarse irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, half are fine gravel, 25 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (18 to 38 cm thick)
C1--73 to 101 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose; few very fine and fine roots; common medium and coarse irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, half are fine gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; 5 percent of coarse fragments are gruss; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (25 to 64 cm thick)
C2--101 to 157 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely gravelly coarse sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; single grain; loose; common medium and coarse irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, half are fine gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones, 5 percent boulders; 5 percent gruss in pockets; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Blaine County, Idaho; about 2 km northeast of Alturas Lake, about 650 meters south and 500 meters west of the northeast corner of section 16, T. 7 N., R. 14 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--2 to 4 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--7 to 8 degrees C
Particle-size control section:
Clay content--2 to 10 percent
Rock fragment content--50 to 90 percent gravel and cobbles with at least 5 percent stones
A horizon
Value--4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--2 through 4 dry or moist
Reaction--pH 5.1 to 6.0
Bw horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma--3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture (upper part)--very gravelly coarse sandy loam, cobbly coarse sandy loam, very cobbly coarse sandy loam, gravelly coarse sandy loam
Texture (lower part)--very gravelly loamy coarse sand
Rock fragment content--15 to 55 percent gravel, cobbles, and/or stones
Reaction--pH 5.1 to 6.5
BC horizon
Value--6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma--3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture--extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand
Rock fragment content--60 to 75 percent gravel, cobbles, and/or stones
Reaction--pH 5.6 to 6.5
C horizon
Value--6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma--2 through 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture--extremely gravelly coarse sand, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, extremely stony loamy coarse sand, extremely cobble coarse sand, extremely stony coarse sand
Rock fragment content--60 to 90 percent gravel, cobbles, and/or stones
Reaction--pH 5.6 to 6.5
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Underdown series. Underdown soils have a paralithic contact at 50 to 75 cm.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--Pinedale glacial moraines
Elevation--2000 to 2450 meters
Slopes--5 to 35 percent
Parent material--glacial till dominantly from granite
Climate--cold and moist in winter and spring and cool and dry in summer
Mean annual precipitation--510 to 640 mm
Mean annual air temperature--1 to 3 degrees C
Frost-free period--5 to 30 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow or medium runoff. Moderately rapid permeability in the upper part and very rapid in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Struggle soils are used primarily as woodlands. Typical vegetation is lodgepole pine and elk sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Struggle soils are of small extent in central Idaho; MLRA 43B.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer-Lemhi County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--4 to 14 cm (A and AB horizons)
Cambic horizon--14 to 50 cm (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section--25 to 100 cm (part of the Bw1, the Bw2, the BC, the C1, and part of the C2 horizons)
Classification changed from Sandy-skeletal, mixed Xeric Eutrocryepts to Sandy-skeletal, mixed Xeric Haplocryepts due to the revision of the cryepts great groups and subgroups. 3/2008
Converted to metric and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 02/2023
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.