LOCATION ZECANYON ID

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

ZECANYON SERIES

The Zecanyon series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and slope alluvium from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. Zecanyon soils are on foothills and tablelands. Slopes range from 1 to 30 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the average annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Mollic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Zecanyon gravelly loam -- on a convex east- facing slope of 3 percent in native rangeland at 1,760 meter elevation. (Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 11, 1980, the soil was moist throughout.)

A--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine, few medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine vesicular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

BA--8 to 25 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, very fine, medium and coarse roots; common fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; very few faint clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 23 cm thick)

Bt1--25 to 46 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine, few medium roots; common fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and rock fragments; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 23 cm thick)

Bt2--46 to 61 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) cobbly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds, in pores, and on rock fragments; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7); gradual irregular boundary. (8 to 38 cm thick)

Bq--61 to 94 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and rock fragments; 60 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; thin to moderately thick silica pendants on rock fragments; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 41 cm thick)

R--94 cm; fractured densely welded rhyolitic tuff with common thin calcium carbonate and silica coatings in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 10 1/2 miles west and 6 1/2 miles north of Grasmere; 1,800 feet east and 550 feet north of the southwest corner of section 10, T.11 S., R. 3 E.; USGS Wickahoney Point 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 42 degrees 28 minutes 43.8 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees 5 minutes 35.6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 42.4788333 latitude, -116.0932222 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to secondary silica - 46 to 75 cm.
Depth to bedrock - 50 to 100 cm
Average annual soil temperature - 6.1 to 8.3 degrees C.
Average summer soil temperature - 17.2 to 18.4 degrees C.
Soil Moisture: This soil is usually moist but dry for 45 to 70 consecutive days during the late summer and autumn. Typic xeric moisture regime.
A horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 Rock fragments - 5 to 25 percent
Reaction (pH) - slightly acid or neutral

Bt horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 3 through 6
Texture - C, CL, GR-C, CB-C, GR-CL, or CB-CL
Clay content - 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments - 5 to 25 percent Reaction (pH) - neutral or mildly alkaline

Bq horizon
Hue - 10YR through 5YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Texture - GRX-CL, GRX-SCL, GRV-CL, GRV-L or CBV-CL
Clay content - 24 to 32 percent
Chroma - 4 through 6
Rock fragments - 40 to 85 percent
Reaction (pH) - neutral through moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hirschdale, Mineral Mountain, and Morgala series. Hirschdale soils are 50 to 100 cm deep to a paralithic contact. Mineral Mountain and Morgala soils lack bedrock above 100 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zecanyon soils are gently sloping to hilly on foothills and tablelands at elevations of 1,510 to 1,845 meters. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. The soils formed in residuum and slope alluvium from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in winter and warm and dry in summer. Average annual precipitation ranges from 330 to 410 mm and average annual temperature ranges from 5.0 to 7.2 degrees C. The frost-free period is 70 to 95 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Deunah, Hat, Hawksy, Wickahoney, and Yatahoney soils. Deunah and Yatahoney soils have a duripan between 50 and 100 cm. Hat soils have greater than 35 percent rock fragments and less than 35 percent clay in the control section. Hawksy and Wickahoney soils are less than 50 cm deep to bedrock. These soils are all on similar landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; slow saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is alkali sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, Idaho fescue, and bluebunch wheatgrass. Basin big sagebrush occurs at lower elevations.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. This series is not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Owyhee County Area, Idaho, 1992.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soils surface to to 25 cm (The A and BA horizons).
Argillic horizon and particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 61 cm (the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 94 cm (R boundary).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.