LOCATION WINDERNOT IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Pachic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Windernot gravelly sandy loam--on a 1 percent smooth slope with a southwest aspect at 4,470 feet elevation--pastureland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; violently effervescent (8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); disseminated carbonate; 25 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary.
A2--6 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and irregular pores; violently effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); disseminated carbonate; 25 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 16 to 24 inches)
Bk--18 to 24 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent (15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); disseminated carbonate; 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Ck--24 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); disseminated carbonate; 75 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Idaho; about 2 miles northwest of Preston; approximately 2,400 feet west and 1,900 feet north of the southeast corner of section 17, T. 15 S., R. 39 E.; USGS Weston 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees, 07 minutes, 00 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees, 55 minutes, 33 seconds west longitude, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry in the soil moisture control section for 60 or more consecutive days following the summer solstice; Xeric moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 49 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 35 inches.
Depth to sand and gravel - 20 to 25 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 3 to 10 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel.
A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent.
Bk horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent gravel.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 25 percent.
2Ck horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Texture: Extremely gravelly sand or very gravelly loamy sand.
Rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 20 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Windernot soils are on stream terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 4,400 to 5,100 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 16 inches, the mean annual air temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cachecan, Oxford, and Parleys soils. Cachecan soils are on low stream terraces. Oxford soils are on steep side slopes adjacent to Windernot soils. Parleys soils are on stream terraces. Cachecan soils are fine-silty and somewhat poorly drained. Oxford soils have a fine particle-size control section. Parleys soils are fine-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very low surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability (high saturated hydraulic conductivity) in the upper part and very rapid permeability (very high saturated hydraulic conductivity) in the lower part. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 4.5 and 6 feet (deep to very deep free water occurrence classes) between March and June. Cumulative annual duration class is Common. These soils are susceptible to rare flooding between February and May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Windernot soils are used for hayland, pastureland, rangeland, and small areas of cropland. Native vegetation is basin big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. These soils are not extensive with about 2,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 28A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Idaho, 1997. The name is taken from a community near the area where the series was first mapped.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 24 inches (A1, A2, and Bk horizons)
Calcic horizon - The zone from 18 to 24 inches (Bk horizon).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 54 and 72 inches at certain times during normal years (part of the 2Ck horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bk horizon and parts of the A2 and 2Ck horizons).