LOCATION WICKAHONEY              ID+NV

Established Series
Rev. JR/ALH/CLM/JBF
12/2022

WICKAHONEY SERIES

The Wickahoney series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. These soils are on foothills and tablelands. Slopes are 1 to 45 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 380 mm, and the average annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Lithic Mollic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Wickahoney gravelly loam -- on a convex southwest-facing slope of 8 percent, in native rangeland at 1,760 meters elevation. The surface has about 2 percent cover of stones. (When described on August 24, 1980, the soil was slightly moist below 13 cm. Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 13 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak medium granular; slightly hard, very friable; nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine, few medium roots; many fine and very fine vesicular and interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel and 2 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.1); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bt1--13 to 30 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many thin clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--30 to 48 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very cobbly clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine, very fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; continuous thick clay films on faces of peds, rocks, and in pores; 25 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

R--48 cm; fractured densely welded rhyolitic tuff with clay and thin silica coatings in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 6 1/2 miles south and 3 miles west of Grasmere; 1,800 feet south and 300 feet east of the northwest corner of section 24, T. 13 S., R. 4 E.; USGS Grasmere Reservoir 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 42 degrees 17 minutes 02 seconds N and longitude 115 degrees 56 minutes 33 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 42.2838889 latitude, -115.9425000 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring; dry from July through October; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 5 to 8 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature: 16 to 19 degrees C.
Depth to bedrock: 25 to 50 cm
Other features: Btq horizons with high percentage of rock fragments occur in some pedons

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 55 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.

A Horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 2to 4moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral
Other features: Dry color value 5 does not occur in combination with moist color 3/3 at depths of 18 cm or more

Bt2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: very cobbly or very gravelly clay loam or clay. Clay content: 35 to 55 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent
Reaction: Slightly acid through mildly alkaline
Other features: Thin, discontinuous silica deposits often appear on the undersides of rocks at the lower boundary

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wickahoney soils occur on the convex summits and sideslopes of rolling foothills and on summits of tablelands. Elevations are 1,495 to 2,245 meters. Slopes are 1 to 45 percent. These soils formed in residuum derived from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in winter and warm and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation is 330 to 460 mm, and average annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C. The frost-free period is 60 to 95 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blackleg, Budlewis, Monasterio, Parkay, Hawksy, Wagonbox, and Zecanyon soils. Blackleg and Budlewis soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to a duripan. Monasterio, Hawksy, and Zecanyon soils are 50 to 100 cm deep. Parkay soils are deeper than 100 cm and have Mollic epipedons thicker than 41 cm. Wagonbox soils are shallow to a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Wickahoney soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is low sagebrush, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and alkali sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho and north central Nevada. This series is extensive. MLRA 25.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County, Idaho; Duck Valley Indian Reservation, Idaho and Nevada, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 48 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 13 to 48 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.