LOCATION TENMILE            ID
Established Series
Rev. RAC/GHL
05/2001

TENMILE SERIES

The Tenmile series consists of very deep, well drained soils on

dissected alluvial terraces. They formed in coarse mixed alluvium.

Permeability is slow. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. The average annual

precipitation is about 12 inches, and the average annual air

temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Xeric Haplargids

Haplargids.

TYPICAL PEDON: Tenmile very gravelly loam - rangeland. (Colors are

for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, dark

brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; slightly hard,

friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and few medium

roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; about 35 percent pebbles;

mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 10 inches

thick)

Bt1--10 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very

gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; yellowish brown (10YR

5/4) coatings on faces of peds; strong medium subangular blocky

structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many

very fine and fine tubular pores; many thick clay films on faces of

peds and in pores; about 32 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles;

mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)

Bt2--14 to 31 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very

gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; yellowish brown (10YR

5/4) coatings on faces of peds; strong medium subangular blocky

structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots;

common very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous thick clay films on

faces of peds; about 38 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; mildly

alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 17 inches thick)

Bt3--31 to 37 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very

gravelly sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong

medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few

fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many moderately

thick clay films on faces of peds; about 40 percent pebbles and 12

percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (4

to 7 inches thick)

BC--37 to 49 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely gravelly

sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak fine

subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky

and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; about 50 percent

pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); gradual

smooth boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)

2C--49 to 60 inches; variegated extremely gravelly loamy coarse

sand; single grained; loose; about 50 percent pebbles and 15 percent

cobbles; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Ada County, Idaho; about 3-1/2 miles southwest of the

Boise Municipal Airport; approximately 900 feet north and 150 feet east

of the SW corner of section 7, T.2N., R.2E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Average annual soil temperature - 50 to 56 degrees F

A horizon

Value- 5 or 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist

Chroma- 2 or 3

Bt horizon

Hue- 7.5YR or 10YR

Value- 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist

Chroma- 3 through 6

Texture - GRV-CL, GRV-SC, GRX-SC, GRX-C

Clay content - 35 to 55 percent

Pebble content - 35 to 50 percent

Cobble and stone content - 10 to 15 percent

C horizon

Color- variegated

Texture - GRV-SCL, GRV-SL, GRX-LCOS, GRX-S

Rock fragments - 60 to 85 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Berning, Havingdon, Pula, Pulcan,

Surgem, and Zephan series. Berning soils have sola that range in

thickness from 40 to 60 inches or more and are neutral or slightly acid

throughout. Havingdon and Surgem soils have a lithic contact within a

depth of 40 inches. Pula soils have average annual temperatures of 47

to 51 degrees F. Pulcan soils have a paralithic between 28 and 40

inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tenmile soils are on dissected alluvial terraces.

Elevation ranges from 2,700 to 4,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 65

percent. The soils formed in coarse mixed alluvium with a slight

influence of loess. Average annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14

inches. Average January temperature is about 27 degrees F, average

July temperature is about 71 degrees F, and the average annual

temperature is 49 to 55 degrees F. Frost-free period is 100 to 160

days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ada, Brent, Chilcott,

Day, Ladd, Lankbush, Lanktree, and Searles soils. Ada, Ladd, and

Searles soils have a mollic epipedon. Brent, Chilcott, Day, Lankbush,

and Lanktree soils have less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the

textural control section. Chilcott and Day soils are on gently sloping

terrace tops. Ladd and Searles soils are at higher elevations. Ada,

Brent, Lankbush, and Lanktree soils are on landscape positions similar

to Tenmile soils.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow through very rapid

runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used dominantly for rangeland.

Vegetation in the potential natural plant community is mainly Wyoming

big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Sandberg

bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. These soils are

moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ada County, Idaho, 1977.

National Cooperative Soil Survey


U.S.A.