LOCATION NOIL IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Noil ashy loam, forested, on an 80 percent slope with a southeasterly aspect (150 degrees) at 3,000 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed needles, leaves and twigs. (0 to 1.5 inches thick)
A1--1 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 10 percent subangular schist gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots throughout; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 20 percent subangular schist gravel and 5 percent subangular schist cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (A horizons 3 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--9 to 19 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 3 percent fine mica flakes; 25 percent subangular schist gravel and 15 percent subangular schist cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
Bw2--19 to 29 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent fine mica flakes; 40 percent subangular schist gravel and 25 percent subangular schist cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear irregular boundary (Bw horizons 5 to 22 inches thick)
C1--29 to 37 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 50 percent subangular schist gravel, 25 percent subangular schist cobbles and 5 percent subangular schist flagstones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
C2--37 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure parting to single grain; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout and few medium roots in cracks; few very fine irregular pores; 4 percent fine mica flakes; 35 percent subangular schist gravel, 15 percent subangular schist cobbles and 10 percent subangular schist flagstones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (C horizons 0 to 19 inches thick)
Cr--43+ inches; weathered schist bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 18 miles north and 2 miles west of Headquarters, Idaho; about 1,500 south and 1,500 feet east of the NW corner of Sec. 17, T41N, R5E; Latitude - 46 degrees, 54 minutes, 05 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 51 minutes, 45 seconds West; USGS Little Goat Mountains Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry for 45 to 70 consecutive days, moist November through mid-July, dry mid-July to mid-September. (Xeric moisture regime)
Average annual soil temperature - 41 to 46 degrees F. (Frigid temperature regime)
Depth to paralithic contact - 40 to 60 inches
Thickness of Vitrandic feature - 7 to 12 inches
A horizons
Hue - 5YR to 10YR dry or moist
Value - 3 to 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture - Ashy-SIL, GR-Ashy-L, Ashy-L
Clay content - 8 to 20 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles; 0 to 25 percent total fragments
Reaction - strongly acid to slightly alkaline
Volcanic glass - 5 to 15 percent
Acid-oxalate Al+1/2Fe - 0.5 to 1.0 percent
AB and BA horizons (where present)
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR dry or moist
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Textures - L, SL, GR-SL, GR-L
Clay content - 12 to 15 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles; 10 to 30 percent total fragments
Reaction - strongly acid to slightly acid
Volcanic glass- 5 to 15 percent
Acid-oxalate Al + 1/2Fe - 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Bw horizons (upper part)
Hue - 5YR to 10YR dry or moist
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - L, GR-L, GR-SL, CB-SL, GRV-SL, GRV-COSL, GR-LS, GRV-L
Clay content - 5 to 20 percent
Rock fragments - 10 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles; 10 to 45 percent total fragments
Reaction - strongly acid to slightly acid
Comments - the non-skeletal upper portion of the cambic horizon is absent in some pedons
Bw horizons (lower part)
Hue - 5YR to 10YR dry or moist
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Textures - GRV-L, GRV-C0SL, GRX-SL, CBV-COSL, GRV-LS, CBX-SL
Clay content - 5 to 25 percent
Rock fragments - 25 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones; 35 to 65 percent total fragments
Reaction - very strongly acid to slightly acid
BC horizon (where present)
Hue - 5YR to 10YR dry, 2.5YR to 10YR moist
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 8 moist
Textures - GRV-SL, GRX-COSL, GRV-LS, GRV-LCOS
Clay content - 3 to 17 percent
Rock fragments - 35 to 55 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles; 40 to 75 percent total fragments
Reaction - very strongly acid to moderately acid
C horizons
Hue - 2.5YR to 10YR dry and moist
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 8 moist
Textures - GRV-SL, GRX-SL, CBX-SL, GRV-LS, GRX-LCOS, CBX-LCOS
Clay content - 3 to 14 percent
Rock fragments - 20 to 55 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones; 40 to 90 percent total fragments
Reaction - very strongly acid to slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brevco(T), Coxit(T), Huntrock, Jimbluff(T), Jumpe, Lekrem(T), Longort(T), Ontrail(T), Radercreek(T), Redpeak(T), Santop(T), Seeburg, and Thout series. Brevco, Huntrock, Redpeak, Santop and Thout soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Coxit, Jimbluff, Jumpe, Lekrem, Ontrail and Seeburg soils are very deep. Longort soils are very deep and have a Cd horizon. Radercreek soils are deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Noil soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes range from 35 to 85 percent. These soils formed in material weathered from gneiss, schist and quartzite with an admixture of loess and volcanic ash. These soils occur at elevations of 1,600 to 4,300 feet. The average annual temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F., with an average annual precipitation of 25 to 55 inches. The average frost-free period is from 80 to 125 days (9 in 10 years to 1 in 10 years, respectively).
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kruse, Hugus, Bouldercreek and Brodeer series. Kruse soils occur on mountain slopes and hills. They have less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section and have an argillic horizon. Hugus and Bouldercreek soils occur on mountain slopes and hills. They have a udic moisture regime and a thick volcanic ash mantle. Brodeer soils occur on mountain slopes and ridges. These soils have less than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section, have a udic moisture regime and have a thick volcanic ash mantle.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is rapid to very rapid and permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Some cleared areas are used for pasture. Potential natural vegetation is mainly grand fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and western larch with an understory of Rocky mountain maple, mallow ninebark, common snowberry, myrtle pachystima, Hooker fairybells, sweet scented bedstraw, starry false Solomons seal, goldthread, elk sedge and Columbia brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Idaho. This soil is not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 1 to 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 9 to 29 inches (Bw horizons).
Vitrandic feature - The zone from 1 to 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw1, the Bw2 , C1 and part of the C2 horizons).
The ranges in values listed under the A and AB horizons for Volcanic glass content and Acid-oxalate Al+1/2Fe are estimates only.