LOCATION CHATBURN IDEstablished Series
The Chatburn series consists of very deep, well drained soils that are
formed in silty alluvium with some loess influence. They are on
coalesced fan terraces and valley floors. Permeability is moderately
slow. Slopes are 1 to 4 percent. The average annual precipitation is
about 14 inches and the average annual temperature is about 44 degrees
F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Chatburn silt loam, cultivated; on a one percent smooth
slope at 4,700 feet elevation. When described on August 24, 1982 the
soil was dry from the surface to two inches and moist below. (Colors
are for air dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap1--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR
3/3) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly
hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very
fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; mildly
alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
Ap2--5 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR
3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very
friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and
common fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth
boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt--11 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark
brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky
structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine
roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; common thin clay
films on faces of peds and line pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4);
abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Btz--14 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown
(10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky
structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common
very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; electrical
conductivity 3 mmhos; SAR 18; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth
boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bkz1--19 to 22 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR
5/3) moist (about 50 percent of plate surfaces have dark brown (7.5YR
4/4 moist) staining; moderate very thick and thick platy structure;
very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very
fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; violently
effervescent (24 percent calcium carbonate), lime disseminated;
electrical conductivity 8 mmhos; SAR 25; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7);
abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bkz2--22 to 31 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR
5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and
slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and few fine
tubular pores; about 10 percent hard, friable nodules; violently
effervescent (24 percent calcium carbonate), lime is segregated into
many fine irregularly shaped seams and filaments; electrical
conductivity 11 mmhos; SAR 22; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (9 to 14
inches thick)
Bkz3--31 to 50 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown
(10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard and friable; few very fine roots; many
very fine and few fine tubular pores; about 5 percent hard, friable
nodules; strongly effervescent (21 percent calcium carbonate), lime is
segragated into common fine irregularly shaped seams and filaments;
electrical conductivity 9 mmhos; SAR 21; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3);
clear smooth boundary. (14 to 20 inches thick)
Cz--50 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown
(10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard and friable; few very fine roots; many
very fine and few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent (19 percent
calcium carbonate), lime is disseminated; electrical conductivity 8
mmhos; SAR 16; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)
TYPE LOCATION: Cassia County, Idaho; about 1 mile east of Albion,
Idaho, 100 feet east and 200 feet north of the southwest corner of
section 33, T. 11 S., R. 25 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the Mollic epipedon - 11 to 17 inches
Depth to secondary lime - 13 to 19 inches
Depth to platy layer - 16 to 19 inches
Percent calcium carbonate equivalent in calcic horizon - 20 to 35
Average annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F
A horizons
Chroma- 2 or 3
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Reaction - mildly to moderately alkaline
Bt horizons
Color value - 5 through 7 dry
Chroma- 2 through 4
Texture - SIL or SICL
Clay content - 22 to 32 percent
Reaction - moderately to strongly alkaline
Bkz horizons
Color value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma- 2 or 3
Clay content - 5 to 15 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 20 to 35 percent
Electrical conductivity - 8 to 16 mmhos
SAR- 15 to 25
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
Cz horizon
Color value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 10 to 20 percent
Electrical conductivity - 8 to 16 mmhos
Reaction - moderately or strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bancroft and Thatcher series. All of
these soils lack Bkz horizons and platy structure in the subsoil.
Bancroft soils have secondary lime at 19 to 40 inches. Thatcher soils
have greater than 25 percent clay in horizons immediately below the Bt
and have electrical conductivity of less than 2 mmohs below the Bt.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chatburn soils are on nearly level to gently
sloping coalesced fan terraces and valley floors. Slopes range from 1
to 4 percent. Elevation ranges from 4600 to 4900 feet. The soil
formed in silty alluvium with some loess influence. The average annual
precipitation ranges from 12 to 16 inches, the average annual air
temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F., the frost free season is 85 to 100
days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Downata, Heglar (T), and
Rexburg series. Downata soils have a pachic mollic epipedon, lack an
argillic horizon and have a water table at 0 to 24 inches. Heglar (T)
soils lack a mollic epipedon and an argillic horizon and are mesic.
Rexburg soils lack an argillic horizon and platy structure in the
subsoil. Downata soils are on floodplains and low stream terraces.
Heglar (T) soils are on gently to strongly sloping south facing
hillsides. Rexburg soils are on gently to strongly sloping east and
north facing slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Slow runoff. Moderately slow
permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chatburn soils are used for irrigated crops, range
and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Basin big sagebrush,
bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Idaho. The soils of this series
is of small estent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cassia County, Idaho, 1986.
REMARKS: This pedon was sampled by the NSSL, Lincoln, NB. Sample
#S82ID-031: The SAR exceeds 13 in the lower part of the argillic, but
does not qualify for a natric because it lacks prismatic structure or
tongues of E material.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipidon - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (Ap1 and
Ap2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 11 to 19 inches (Bt1 and Btz2
horizons).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 19 to 50 inches (Bkz1, Bkz2, and Bkz3
horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 11 to 19 inches (Bt1 and
Btz2).
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.