LOCATION WOSPRING ID
Established Series
RK/BAG/KP
10/2026
WOSPRING SERIES
The Wospring series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils that formed in residuum weathered from travertine. These soils are on travertine terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 4 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 450 millimeters, and mean annual air temperature is about 3.0 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, carbonatic, frigid Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wospring loam in a meadow. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 3 cm; live and slightly decomposed roots with about 10 percent mineral material; clear smooth boundary.
A1--3 to 8 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 70 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary.
A2--8 to 28 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine and fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; 75 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
AB--28 to 64 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) very fine sandy loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine and fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; 75 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bg1--64 to 145 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) very fine sandy loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; 15 percent very coarse and coarse distinct pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) moist iron masses throughout and 15 percent coarse white (2.5Y 8/1) moist iron depletions throughout; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; 80 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
Bg2--145 to 160 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) very fine sandy loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; 15 percent very coarse and coarse distinct pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) moist iron masses throughout and 15 percent coarse white (2.5Y 8/1) moist iron depletions throughout; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; 75 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Caribou County, Idaho; China Hat, USGS topographic quadrangle; latitude 42.8021300 degrees north, longitude 111.5360800 datum WGS84.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3.3 to 5.6 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--15.0 to 18.3 degrees C
Thickness of mollic epipedon--25 to 50 cm
Depth to water table--25 to 50 cm, year-round
Particle-size control section (weighted averages)
Clay content--7 to 14 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent--70 to 85 percent
Oi horizon
Texture--slightly decomposed plant material
Reaction--pH 4.5 to 5.5
Organic matter content--65 to 95 percent
Thickness--1 to 3 cm
A horizons
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma--1 to 3 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Clay content--7 to 14 percent
Reaction--pH 7.6 to 8.4
Thickness--10 to 51 cm
AB horizon (when present)
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--6 to 8 dry, 4 to 7 moist
Chroma--2 to 3 dry or moist
Clay content--7 to 14 percent
Reaction--pH 7.9 to 8.4
Thickness--0 to 36 cm
Bg horizons
Hue--2.5Y or 10YR
Value--6 to 8 dry, 4 to 8 moist
Chroma--2 or 3
Texture (less than 2 mm fraction)--very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Clay content--5 to 12 percent
Reaction--pH 7.9 to 8.4
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape--valleys
Landform--travertine terraces
Elevation--1,520 to 1,910 meters
Slope--0 to 4 percent
Parent material--residuum from travertine
Mean annual air temperature--2.2 to 4.4 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--400 to 500 millimeters
Frost free period--60 to 90 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained, 15 to 50 um/sec
USE AND VEGETATION: Wospring soils are primarily used for nonirrigated pasture. The potential native vegetation is shrubby cinquefoil and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Wospring soils are of small extent in southeastern Idaho; MLRA 13.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Caribou County, Idaho; 2010
REMARKS: Diagnostic properties recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon:3 to 28 cm (A1 and A2 horizons); this pedon meets mollic criteria by having a fine-earth fraction that has a calcium carbonate equivalent of 40 percent or more and a color value, moist of 5 or less
Particle-size control section:25 to 100 cm
Wospring soils have a frigid temperature regime and an aquic moisture regime.
Carbonatic mineralogy--particle-size control section averages greater than 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent
Taxonomic version: Twelfth Edition, 2014
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.