LOCATION BLUEHILL ID+NV UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Bluehill fine sandy loam, rangeland - on a 48 percent smooth slope, southeast aspect, 5,150 feet elevation. (The profile was moist below about 8.5 inches. Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated. This profile was described on June 22, 1981.)
A--0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tabular pores; 5 percent gravel on the surface; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
BA--3 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots between ash plates which have been fractured; 10 percent gravel; 55 percent soft platy ash fragments 1/2 to 6 inches across that are lime coated on all sides in a non-calcareous matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk--13 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots between ash plates which have been fractured; 90 percent soft ash plates, lime coatings on all sides, plates 1 to 4 inches thick; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Cr--30 inches; weakly consolidated volcanic ash.
TYPE LOCATION: Cassia County, Idaho; about 14 miles south of Oakley, Idaho, about 1,200 feet west and 1,500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 10, T. 16S., R. 21E. Latitude - 42 degrees, 3 minutes, 5 seconds North; Longitude - 113 degrees, 58 minutes, 31 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to paralithic contact - 20 to 40 inches.
Rock fragment content - 0 to 15 percent.
Consolidated ash fragment content - 30 to 90 percent soft fragments 1/2 to 4 inches thick and 1 to 10 inches long.
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
A horizon
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Bulk density - .95 to 1.05 grams per cubic centimeter
Reaction - neutral or slightly alkaline
Volcanic glass content - 85 to 95 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.07 to 0.08
Phosphorous retention - 1 to 5 percent
Bw horizon
Value - 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Lime content - 0 to 5 percent
Bulk density - 1.00 to 1.05 grams per cubic centimeter
Reaction - slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
Volcanic glass content - 85 to 95 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.07 to 0.08
Phosphorous retention - 1 to 5 percent
Bk horizon
Hue - Neutral, 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 0 through 4
Texture - LS through L
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 25 percent
Reaction - moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline
Volcanic glass content - 80 to 95 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.02 to 0.06
Phosphorous retention - 25 to 35 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family. A closely related soil is the Coalbank series which has a mollic epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluehill soils are on south-facing slopes of fan terraces, hills, and mesas. Slopes range from 2 to 80 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,600 to 5,900 feet. The soil formed in alluvium and residuum of volcanic ash. The climate is cold and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. The average annual precipitation is about 12 to 16 inches. The average annual air temperature is about 45 to 48 degrees F. The frost-free season is 85 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Coalbank, Hardister, Stines, Tomsherry, and Wilsongulch series. They all have mollic epipedons. Coalbank and Hardister soils are greater than 40 inches deep. Stines and Wilsongulch soils are skeletal. Tomsherry soils have a duripan at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Coalbank soils are on steep northerly slopes. Hardister and Tomsherry soils are on nearly level to moderately sloping valley bottoms and fan terraces. Stine soils are on steep northerly slopes. Wilsongulch soils are on steep south-facing mesa and hill sides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bluehill soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Idaho, northern Nevada, and northwestern Utah. This series is not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABILISHED: Box Elder County, Utah, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 9 inches (A and BA horizons)
Cambic Horizon - the zone from 3 to 13 inches (BA and Bw horizon)
Calcic Horizon - the zone from 13 to 30 inches (Bk horizon)
Particle-size Control Section - the zone from 10 to 30 inches (part of the Bw and the Bk horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: This soil was sampled for analysis at the NSSL. Laboratory sample number for this soil is 81P 575 (Soil Survey Sample Number - S81ID-031-002)