LOCATION TOMSHERRY ID+NV UTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, frigid Vitrandic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Tomsherry fine sandy loam - rangeland. On a 5 percent convex slope, NW aspect, 5,200 feet elevation. (Profile was dry above 53 inches and moist below. Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated. This profile was described on July 30, 1979.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 6.7) with phenol red, pH 7.0 with sodium fluoride; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
AB--4 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8) with phenol red, pH 7.2 with sodium fluoride; abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--11 to 23 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) fine sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)
Bk2--23 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; 25 percent hard (dry) and friable (moist) masses of soil material; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
Bkqm--32 to 36 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) fractured lime and silica cemented duripan, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; strong very thick platy structure; many very fine roots between pan fragments; few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
2Ckz--36 to 53 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy fine sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few fine irregularly shaped salt veins; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
2C--53 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose; many very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Cassia County, Idaho; about 650 feet east, 2,500 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 26, T. 16 S., R. 21 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 7 to 11 inches
Depth to duripan - 20 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section - 5 to 15 percent clay
Average annual soil temperature - 43 to 47 degrees F
A horizon
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction with sodium fluoride - pH less than 9.5
Reaction - neutral or slightly alkaline
Volcanic glass content - more than 30 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - less than 0.4 percent
Bk horizon
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - FSL, SL, or L
Coarse fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel
Volcanic glass content - more than 30 percent
Acid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - less than 0.4 percent Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 25 percent
2C horizon
Value - 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4
Texture - FSL through LS
Coarse fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel
Reaction - moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family. A closely related soil is the Dutchenry series. Dutchenry soils are mesic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tomsherry soils are on fan terraces and plateaus. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,900 to 6,600 feet. The soil formed in alluvium from volcanic ash. The average annual precipitation is about 12 to 16 inches, and the average annual air temperature is about 41 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hardister and Bluehill series. They do not have a duripan and are mesic. Bluehill soils also do not have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Tomsherry soils are used for range. The natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, needleandthread, Sandburg bluegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Tomsherry soils are found in southern Idaho, northern Nevada and in northwestern Utah. They are of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boxelder County, Utah, Western Part, 1985.
REMARKS: Classification has been changed from Ashy, frigid Xeric Durandepts.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches (A and AB horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 11 to 32 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons)
Duripan - the zone from 32 to 36 inches (Bkqm horizon)
Vitrandic feature - more than 30 percent volcanic glass
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 32 inches (part of the AB horizon and the Bk1, and Bk2 horizons)