LOCATION ZWIEFEL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over clayey, mixed over smectitic, calcareous, frigid Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Zwiefel fine sand, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil un;ess otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; moderately calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
C1--3 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
C2--13 to 21 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
IIC3--21 to 28 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
IIC4ca--28 to 36 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist moderate thin platy structure that parts to moderate very fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many fine lime splotches; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
IIC5ca--36 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; strong thin platy that parts to strong very fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many fine lime splotches; strongly calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6). (0 to 28 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Idaho; 4 miles east and 2 miles south of Terreton; 350 feet south, 195 feet east of the NW corner, section 28, T.6N., R.35E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 41 to 45 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 64 to 67 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 or more consecutive days in the autumn. The upper part of the 10 to 40 inch control section ranges from loamy fine sand to sand. The lower part of the control section ranges from heavy silty clay loam to clay and averages 35 to 45 percent clay. Dark colors in stratifications are due to dark colored sand grains. Deviation of lime content in the profile is mainly due to parent material.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3. In some pedons the A horizon is not calcareous.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 6, 7 or 8 dry.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Grassy Butte and Terreton series. Grassy Butte soils lack the underlying clayey material. Terreton soils lack the sandy material in the upper part of the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Zwiefel soils sre in hummocky areas on playas at elevations of about 4,800 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. The soils formed in clayey and silty lacustrine deposits overlain by eolian sand. The semiarid climate has an average frost free season of 80 t 100 days and a mean annual precipitation of 8 to 11 inches including 1 to 3 feet of snowfall. Maximum precipitation is in May and June.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Grassey Butte and Terreton soils and the Montlid soils. Montlid soils have a fine, silty control section and have a water table at a depth of about 50 inches during the irrigation season.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow and slow runoff; very rapid permeability in the sandy upper part of the profile and slowly permeable in the clayey lower part of the profile.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for production of irrigated hay, grain, pasture and for range. The principal natural vegetation is big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Idaho, 1975.