LOCATION TICKASON ID

Established Series
Rev. TWP/RWW/CLM
02/2019

TICKASON SERIES

The Tickason series consists of very deep, well drained soils that are formed in alluvium from sedimentary rocks and quartzite. They are on sloping alluvial fans and terraces. Permeability is moderate. Slopes are 0 to 20 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 12 inches. The average annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Tickason loam - rangeland. (Color is for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very thin and thin platy structure parting to weak very fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.

A2--3 to 12 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak very fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.9); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 7 to 21 inches)

Bw1--12 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) (light brownish gray (10YR 6/2 crushed) loam, brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to weak medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few very hard nodules of soil material 0.7 to 1 inch across; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--18 to 20 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to weak medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; very few very hard nodules; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 4 to 26 inches)

Bk--20 to 44 inches; light gray (10Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few very hard nodules 0.5 to 0.8 inches across; violently effervescent, many soft splotches and thin coatings of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 30 inches thick)

C1--44 to 54 inches; light brownish gray (10Y 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, few lime veins and spots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

2C2--54 to 61 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 100 inches thick)

2C3--61 to 84 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/1) clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) moist; massive (weak medium laminations); hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, common lime veins and splotches; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1).

TYPE LOCATION: Power County, Idaho; about 3.2 miles west of the Pocatello Municipal airport; about 50 feet southwest of the a bend in dirt road in NE 1/4 SW 1/4 section 2, T.6 S., R.32 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Thickness of the mollic epipedon - 7 to 13 inches
Depth to calcic horizon - 12 to 23 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 64 to 70 degrees F.
Control section averages - 10 to 18 percent clay and more than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand
Coarse fragments - 0 to 35 percent

A horizon
Hue - 10YR to 2.5Y
Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - neutral or mildly alkaline

Bw horizon
Hue - 10YR to 2.5Y
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - neutral to moderately alkaline
Texture - SIL, L, FSL, VFSL, GR-L

Bk horizon
Hue - 10YR to 2.5Y
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - mildly to strongly alkaline
Effervescent - strongly or violently
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 25 percent
Textures - SIL, GR-SIL, FSL, VFSL

C horizon
Hue - 10YR to 2.5Y
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction - moderately or very strongly alkaline
Texture - L, SIL, C, SL, GR-SIL, LS, GR-LS

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blickenstaff (T), Blue Star, Courtrock, Era, Farrell, Malott, and Tonasket series. Blickenstaff soils have secondary carbonates at 30 to 40 inches and have a water table at 3.5 to 5 feet fron March through May. The Blue Star soils lack cambic horizons and have weakly to strongly cemented Bk horizons. Courtrock soils lack cambic and calcic horizons. Era soils lack calcic horizons and have 10 to 25 percent pimice and less than 10 percent coarse fragments. Farrell soils are noncalcareous to a depth of 10 to 34 inches, lack calcic horizons above a depth of 40 inches. Malott soils have a duripan at 40 to 60 inches and lime at 23 to 43 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tickason soils are on level to sloping terraces at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 feet. They formed in mixed alluvium, from sedimentary rocks and quartzite and in beach deposits. Slopes are 0 to 20 percent. The average annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches. The average annual air temperature is 45 to 51 degrees F. The frost free period is 100 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Neeley, McDole, and Rudeen soils. Neeley soils have a coarse-silty particle-size control section. McDole soils lack calcic horizon. Rudeen soils contain more than 35 percent coarse fragments.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow to very rapid runoff. Moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for irrigated sugar beets, potatoes, small grains, hay, and pasture for range. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and big sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Idaho. These soils are not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: PORTLAND, OREGON

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Power County, Idaho, 1973

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 inches. (A1 and A2 horizons)

Cambic horizon - The zone between 12 and 20 inches. (Bw horizon)

Calcic horizon - The zone between 20 and 44 inches. (Bk horizon)

Particle size control section - the zone between 10 and 40 inches. (Part of the A2 horizon, the Bw1 and Bw2 and part of the Bk horizon)

The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.