LOCATION SWEETCREEK IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive Xeric Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sweetcreek silt loam, rangeland - on a 6 percent slope on a north aspect at an elevation of 7,526 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) silt loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and coarse roots throughout; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--2 to 11 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) silt loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Btk1--11 to 18 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine irregular carbonate threads; 12 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Btk2--18 to 24 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) silty clay loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine irregular carbonate threads; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
Bk--24 to 39 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) silt loam, red (2.5YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; many medium and coarse platelike masses of carbonate; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
Cr1--39 to 46 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) weathered bedrock crushing to loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine irregular carbonate threads; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary.
Cr2--46 to 49 inches; light reddish brown (2.5YR 6/4) weathered bedrock crushing to very fine sandy loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine irregular carbonate threads; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary.
Cr3--49 to 66 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) weathered bedrock crushing to sandy loam, red (2.5YR 4/6) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine irregular carbonate threads; moderately effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Bear Lake County, Idaho; about 1,100 feet east and 1,650 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 27, T. 15S., R46E.
Latitude: 42 degrees, 5 minutes, and 12 seconds N.
Longitude: 111 degrees, 4 minutes, and 3 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section - usually moist, dry for 45 consecutive days or more in the four months following the summer solstice. Xeric soil moisture regime.
Average annual soil temperature: 38 to 42 degrees F. Cryic soil temperature regime.
Average summer soil temperature: 54 to 59 degrees F.
Depth to paralithic contact: 20 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section
Clay content: 24 to 30 percent
Rock fragment content: 0 to 20 percent
A horizon:
Texture: silt loam or gravelly loam
Clay content: 11 to 26 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline
Bt and Btk horizons:
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6 moist
Texture: clay loam, gravelly silty clay loam, or silt loam
Clay content: 24 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent - 5 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Effervescence: slight to strong
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bk horizon:
Texture: silt loam, gravelly silt loam, or gravelly loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: hills, ridges and plateaus
Elevation: 6,600 to 7,700 feet
Slope: 3 to 15 percent
Parent material: alluvium from sandstone
Climate: long, cold winters; moist springs, and warm, dry summers
Average annual precipitation: 13 to 18 inches
Average annual temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F
Frost-free period: 50 to 70 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Boundridge (T), Cokeville (T), Pontuge (T), and Slan (T) series. Boundridge soils are shallow to a duripan on summits and ridgetops. Cokeville soils are 40 to 60 inches to weathered sandstone and have a frigid soil temperature regime on all aspects except north-facing slopes. Pontuge soils are very deep and have a mollic epipedon on hillsides and mountainsides. Slan soils have a frigid soil temperature regime on lower mountainsides and hillsides
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained, moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetative is mountain big sagebrush, Eriogonum, Nevada bluegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, mountain snowberry, and pine bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are moderately extensive in southeastern Idaho. MLRA 43B.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bear Lake County, Idaho, 2008.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 2 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 24 inches (Bt, Btk1, and Btk2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 24 to 39 inches (Bk horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 2 to 22 inches (Bt, Btk1, and part of Btk2 horizons)