LOCATION RUTHERFORD IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Rutherford extremely gravelly loam--on a slope of 4 percent under at 7,200 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 22, 1981, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; many very fine tubular pores; 70 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--10 to 19 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common prominent clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 60 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bt3--19 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong very fine angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 70 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
R--26 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) welded tuff, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist.
TYPE LOCATION: Twin Falls County, Idaho; about 22 miles southwest of Rogerson and about 0.50 mile north of the Idaho-Nevada state line; in the southwest 1/4, of the southwest 1/4, of the northwest 1/4 of section 27, T. 16 S., R. 13 E.; USGS Taylor Canyon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; approximately 42 degrees 0 minutes 24 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees 55 minutes 41 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry during summer and early fall; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 38 to 43 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 55 to 59 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 30 inches; includes all the Bt horizons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 24 to 35 percent; Rock fragments: 50 to 85 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rock such as tuff.
A horizon - Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 3 or 4 percent.
Bt horizons - Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam, extremely gravelly clay loam, or very gravelly loam.
Rock fragments: 45 to 70 percent gravel, 5 to 15 percent cobbles.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Moderately acid or slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Angelwhine (T), Aspetill (T), Badwater, Bickmore, Bluebell, Booneville, Buena Vista, Dab (T), Delhew (T), Geemore, Hawkinspeak (T), Keman, Littlemud (T), Lostcannon (T), Monibasin (T), Parkalley (T), Parkay, Redbird, Sweetmount (T), and Woodhurst series.
Angelwhine, Aspetill, Badwater, Booneville, Dab, Delhew, Geemore, Keman, Lostcannon, Monibasin, Parkalley, Parkay, and Redbird soils are very deep. Bickmore soils have Btk horizons with 15 to 40 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. Bluebell soils are dominated by stones in the particle-size control section. Buena Vista soils are dominated by stones in the particle-size control section and have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates. Hawkinspeak soils have mean summer soil temperature of 50 to 54 degrees F. Littlemud soils have mollic epipedons that do not include the argillic horizon and have rock fragments which are quartzite or rhyolite. Sweetmount soils are deep to paralithic contacts and have subhorizons of the argillic horizon with 27 to 50 percent clay. Woodhurst soils have an ustic moisture regime and are neutral or slightly alkaline.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rutherford soils are on hills and cuestas. They typically occur on summit and dipslope positions. These soils formed in residuum weathered from welded tuff. Slopes are 2 to 20 percent. Elevations range from 6,500 to 7,700 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 20 inches, the mean annual temperature is 37 to 43 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 20 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dehana, Hogmalat, Kavon and Player soils and the competing Keman soil. Dehana soils are deep and not skeletal. Hogmalat soils are shallow and occur on summit and shoulder positions. Kavon soils are deep and occur on backslope positions. Player soils are very deep, clayey-skeletal, and occur on breaks.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rutherford soils are used for rangeland. The native vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and low sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. These soils are not extensive with about 4,800 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 25.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Twin Falls County (Jerome County and part of Twin Falls County), Idaho, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 26 inches (A, Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 4 to 26 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 26 inches to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 4 to 24 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and part of the Bt3 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Clay percentage by the hydrometer method: 0-4 inches=22 percent, 4-10 inches=28 percent, 10-19 inches=30 percent, 19-26 percent=34 percent; base saturation: 0-4 inches=81 percent, 4-10 inches=84 percent, 10-19 inches=87 percent, 19-26 inches=80 percent.