LOCATION WAHTIGUP ID+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcidic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wahtigup stony loam, sagebrush and grass. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; very weak very thin platy structure that parts to weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; about 10 percent dark gray and white fine angular pebbles coated on the lower side with lime; moderately calcareous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A12--6 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very
dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; about 20 percent dark gray limestone gravel; moderately calcareous; pebbles lime coated on lower side; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C1--9 to 14 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly heavy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) (7.5YR 5/3, crushed) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; about 20 percent pebbles lime coated on lower 2/3; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
C2--14 to 28 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly heavy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; about 30 percent lime coated gravel; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
C3--28 to 45 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; about 30 percent angular and subangular limestone gravel, lime coated on bottom and sides; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
IIC4--45 to 60 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) and light gray (10YR
7/2) limestone gravel lime coated except for top.
TYPE LOCATION: Bingham County, Idaho 3 miles east and 1 mile north of Alridge; 1,900 feet north of the SE corner of section 24, T.2S., R.38E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 59 to 66 degrees F. The soils are usually dry and are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for about 60 to 75 consecutive days during the late summer. The mineralogy is mixed, but approaches carbonatic. Limestone bedrock is common at depths of 40 to 70 inches or deeper. The 10 to 40 inch control section is gravelly or angular cobbly loam or silt loam and averages 18 to 27 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent (by volume) rock fragments, mainly limestone. The mollic epipedon and the solum are 7 to 12 inches thick. The A1 horizon has value of 4.5 to 5.5 dry and 2.5 to 3.5 moist and chroma from 2 or 3. It contains 1.5 to 2.5 percent organic matter. This horizon has weak or very weak platy or weak or very weak fine or fine granular structure. It is slightly to strongly calcareous. The C1 horizon immediately below the A1 horizon is strongly or moderately calcareous, but contains less than 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, including the limestone gravel. The C horizon has value of 5.5 to 8 dry, 3.5 to 6 moist, and chroma from 2 to 4. Hues are commonly 10YR in the A1 and C horizons, but range to 7.5YR. The lower part of the C horizon commonly contains more than 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and more than 35 percent rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES AND THEIR DIFFERENTIAE: These are the Agassiz, Bezzant, Denay, Duncom, Fanu, Highams, Hymas, McCammon, Pandoah, Ricrest, Sheege, and Urtah series. Agasiz, Duncom, Highams, Hymas, and Sheege soils have limestone bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches. Agassiz, Bezzant, Denay, Highams, Hymas, Sheege, and Urtah soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Denay soils have a calcic horizon. Fanu and Ricrest soils have mollic epipedons thicker than 20 inches, and Fanu soils have less than 15 percent lime. McCammon soils have basalt bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Pandoah soils are reddish brown or redder and have sandstone bedrock above a depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The soils are in level to steep mountain foot slopes, upland ridges, and alluvial and colluvial fans. Elevations range from 4,800 to 6,200 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. The soils formed mostly in medium textured colluvium and local alluvium from limestone materials but often have some influence from loess. The climate is semiarid with dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 11 to 15 inches, including 2.5 to 5 feet of snowfall. The average frost free season is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Highams, Hymas, and Ricrest soils and the Newdale soils. Newdale soils formed in deep loess and have less than 18 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well or somewhat excessively drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for native range. The dominant native plants are bluebunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, Nevada bluegrass, bitterbrush, pentstemon, little sunflower, snowberry, three tip sagebrush, and serviceberry (dwarfed), and some juniper is in places.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Moderately extensive in the limestone areas of southeastern Idaho and adjoining states.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bingham County, Idaho, 1972.
REMARKS: The soils were formerly as Brown soils.