LOCATION WHITECLOUD IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, carbonatic, frigid Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Whitecloud gravelly loam - on a north-facing slope of 3 percent, rangeland, at 6,150 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on October 17, 1979, the soil was dry throughout.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; lime and silica coatings less than 1 mm thick on undersides of coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and irregular pores; 35 percent gravel; 3 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 mm thick on undersides and some sides of coarse fragments; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
Bkq1--6 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine tubular and irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 to 5 mm thick on sides and undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (55 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bkq2--14 to 17 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, very weakly discontinuous cementation; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 55 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 1 to 5 mm thick on sides and undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (60 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
2Bkq3--17 to 35 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; single grain; loose; few very fine roots and common very fine dead roots; many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 55 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings 2 to 5 mm thick on sides and undersides of coarse fragments; fine pebbles weakly cemented to undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (greater than 65 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)
2Bq--35 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; single grain; loose; few very fine and common very fine dead roots; many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 65 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; weak silica bridging fine pebbles to undersides of coarse fragments; violently effervescent (greater than 65 percent calcium carbonate); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 20 miles southwest of Patterson, Idaho; about 1,000 feet south and 1,200 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 8, T. 12 N., R. 23 E.
Latitude - 44 degrees, 23 minutes, 21 seconds North
Longitude - 113 degrees, 46 minutes, 03 seconds West
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The soil moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
Mean annual soil temperature - 41 to 45 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature - 59 to 63 degrees F
Reaction of profile - slightly to strongly alkaline increasing with depth
Particle-size control section - coarse fragments - 45 to 75 percent; clay content - the upper part 7 to 15 percent, lower part 3 to 8 percent; sand content - the upper part 65 to 80 percent, lower part 80 to 95 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 55 to 80 percent throughout the subsoil.
Depth to the calcic horizon is 3 to 17 inches.
Depth to the 2B horizon is 10 to 25 inches.
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3, dry and moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent 10 to 20 percent
Bkq or Bk horizons
Value - 4 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4, dry and moist
Texture - GRV-SL, GRV-L, GRV-FSL, or GRX-SL
Clay percentage - 7 to 15
2B horizons
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma - 1 to 3 dry or moist
Texture - GRV-S, GRV-COS, GRV-LCOS, GRX-S, GRX-COS, GRX-LS or GRX-LCOS
Clay percentage 3 to 8 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Whitecloud soils are on outwash fans and fan terraces and have slopes of 1 to 15 percent. Elevations are 4,500 to 7,200 feet. The soils formed in alluvium derived dominantly from limestone. The climate is cold and moist in winter and dry in summer. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches. Mean summer air temperature is 55 to 65 degrees F, and mean annual air temperature is 38 to 43 degrees F. Frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Leatherman, Pahsimeroi, Ringle, and Snowslide soils on outwash fans and fan terraces. Leatherman soils are shallow to a duripan. Pahsimeroi soils have cambic horizons. Ringle and Snowslide soils are dry for over three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is over 41 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, slow runoff; permeability is moderate in the upper part and very rapid in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone form 0 to 6 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 6 to 35 inches (Bkq1, Bkq2, and the 2Bkq3 horizons).
The particle-size control section is the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bkq1, the Bkq2, 2Bkq3, and part of the 2Bq horizons).