LOCATION ZIMMER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Zimmer coarse sandy loam -- on an east-facing slope of 62 percent at 5,380 feet elevation in open forestland. When described on November 3, 1993, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine, fine and medium irregular pores; 10 percent fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine, fine and medium irregular pores; 15 percent fine gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
R--14 inches; unweathered granodiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: Boise County, Idaho; about 3 miles north and 3 miles west of Banks; 400 feet north and 700 feet west of the southeast corner of section 11, T.9 N., R.2 E.; USGS Dry Buck Valley Quadrangle; Latitude - 44 degrees, 07 minutes, 29 seconds N. and Longitude - 116 degrees, 10 minutes, 40 seconds W.; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches
Base saturation - 50 to 75 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
Particle-size control section - 5 to 12 percent clay; 10 to 35 percent rock fragments
Moisture control section - dry 60 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 47 degrees F.
A horizon
Value - 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 1 through 3 dry or moist
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 5 to 30 percent fine gravel and 5 to 35 percent total
Bw horizon
Value - 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - SL or COSL
Clay content - 5 to 12 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 15 to 35 percent fine gravel and 15 to 35 percent total
C horizons occur in some pedons
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. The Whisk soils in a closely related family have average annual soil temperature of 47 to 53 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zimmer soils are on hill and mountain slopes, ridges and spurs, and canyon walls at elevations of 2,750 to 7,100 feet. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from granitic rocks. Slopes range from 8 to 90 percent. The average annual precipitation is 22 to 36 inches. The average annual temperature is 39 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 45 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Backswitch, Charters, Josie, Northfork and Shirts soils. Backswitch and Shirts soils are moderately deep. Charters, Josie and Northfork soils are very deep. Backswitch, Charters and Northfork soils are on concave or lower slopes. Shirts soils are on similar geomorphic positions. Joise soils are on windswept mountain summits.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Zimmer soils are used mainly for wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is commonly antelope bitterbrush, white spirea, bluebunch wheatgrass and Geyers (elk) sedge under scattered Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. On windswept mountain summits native vegetation is subalpine big sagebrush, Lettermans needlegrass, mountain brome and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West-central Idaho. MLRA 43b and 44. Zimmer soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boise County Area, Idaho, Parts of Ada and Boise Counties, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - zone from 7 to 14 inches (Bw horizon)
Particle-size control section - zone from 0 to 14 inches (PSCS is 10 inches to bedrock when bedrock is deeper than 14 inches.)
Lithic contact - at 14 inches (R)
Soil moisture regime - xeric