LOCATION TUPPER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Tupper extremely bouldery fine sandy loam in rangeland on a 2 percent south facing slope at an elevation of 2,950 feet. When described on March 24, 1981, the soil profile was moist to 43 inches. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely bouldery fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; about 35 percent boulders, 10 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 18 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very bouldery fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; about 15 percent boulders, 10 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bw2--18 to 30 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very bouldery fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; about 20 percent boulders, 10 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bkq1--30 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely bouldery fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; about 30 percent boulders, 15 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles, and 15 percent gravel; strong effervescence (about 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); lime-silica coats on bottom of rock fragments 1 to 5 mm thick and in places bridging rock fragments. slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 17 inches thick)
Bkq2--43 to 66 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely bouldery loamy fine sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose; few fine roots; many very fine and few fine irregular pores; about 30 percent boulders, 15 percent stones, 15 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; many splotches and fine veins of lime; violent effervescence (about 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); lime-silica coats on bottom of rock fragments 1 to 5 mm. thick and in places bridging rock fragments; weakly cemented lenses that are brittle when dry and firm when moist; moderately alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Gooding County, Idaho; 3 miles south of Hagerman; about 75 feet south and 75 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 2, T. 8 S., R. 13 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 52 to 54 degrees F.
Depth to carbonates - 20 to 36 inches
Depth to stratified sand and rock fragments - 27 to 41 inches
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Bw horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - BYV-FSL, BYV-SL
Rock fragments - boulders - 15 to 30 percent, stones - 10 to 15 percent, cobbles - 5 to 10 percent, gravel - 5 to 10 percent
Clay content - 12 to 20 percent
Reaction - neutral to mildly alkaline
Bkq horizon
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 4 moist
Chroma - 3 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - Stratified BYV-FSL TO BYX-LS
Rock fragments - boulders - 20 to 35 percent stones - 10 to 15 percent, cobbles - 10 to 15 percent gravel - 10 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate content - 15 to 25 percent
Reaction - moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mina, Porrone, Sugarcreek (T), and Zineb series. Mina soils are well drained and lack boulders in the control section and the average annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. Perrone soils have carbonates at less than 20 inches and lack boulders in the control section. Sugarcreek soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Zineb soils have average annual soil temperature of less than 52 degrees F. and lack boulders in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tupper soils are on stream terraces, at elevations of 2,700 to 3,000 feet. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from Lake Bonneville flood sediments. The semi-arid climate has relatively dry summers. The average annual precipitation is 7 to 9 inches. The average annual temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. The frost free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bahem, Ephrata, Fathom, Kecko, Quincy and Taunton soils. Ephrata soils have coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal particle size control sections. Taunton soils have duripans above 40 inches. Ephrata soils occur on the same landscape as Tupper. Bahem, Fathom, Quincy and Taunton soils occur on basalt plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Tupper soils are used mostly for rangeland and to a minor extent for irrigated pasture. Small areas are used for homesites. The natural vegetation is mainly basin big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Thurber needlegrass, cheatgrass and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Tupper soils are of small extent in south central Idaho.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gooding County, Idaho, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 7 to 30 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 30 to 66 inches (Bkq1 and Bkq2 horizons)
Durixerollic layer - the zone from 30 to 66 inches (Bkq1 and Bkq2 horizons)