LOCATION TROUGHS ID+NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Xeric Argidurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Troughs very stony loam -- on a slightly convex slope of 5 percent, in native rangeland at 5,140 feet elevation. (When described on August 16, 1979, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for air dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very stony loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 5 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--2 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Bkq--8 to 15 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely cobbly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 65 percent indurated dominantly cobble-size duripan fragments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bkqm--15 to 30 inches; white (10YR 8/2) indurated duripan, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; massive or strong medium and thick platy structure; extremely hard, brittle; opalized laminations are 1/8 to 2 inches thick; 20 percent angular cobbles and stones; violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 20 inches thick)
2R--30 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Owyhee County, Idaho; about 2 miles north of Grasmere; 800 feet south and 150 feet east of the northwest corner of section 9, T.12 S., R.5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to calcium carbonates - 6 to 14 inches
Depth to duripan - 12 to 20 inches
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Particle-size control section - 27 to 35 percent clay
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
A horizon
Value - 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3
Rock fragments - 15 to 45 percent
Reaction - mildly or moderately alkaline
Bt horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4
Texture - CB-CL, CBV-CL, GRV-CL
Rock fragments - 25 to 50 percent
Reaction - mildly through strongly alkaline
Effervescence - none through strong in the lower part
Bkq horizon
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR
Value - 7 or 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4
Rock fragments - 50 to 90 percent
Reaction - moderately through very strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 40 percent
Other features - rock fragments in the lower B horizon consist of cobbles and stones with thick silica and calcium carbonate pendents and indurated duripan fragments
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deepeek, Hotcreek, Lapon, and Malmesa series. Deepeek soils lack bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Hotcreek soils are less than 10 inches deep to a duripan. Malmesa soils are less than 20 inches deep to bedrock. Lapon soils have average annual soil temperature of 52 to 55 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Troughs soils are on calderas, structural benches, and plateaus at elevations of 3,500 to 5,500 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 25 percent. These soils have formed in alluvium and loess from extrusive rocks and volcanic ash. The climate is cool and moist in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Average annual precipitation ranges is 8 to 12 inches, and average annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 125 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bruncan, Hotcreek, Jenor, Laped, Owsel, and Snowmore soils. Bruncan, Jenor, Laped, Owsel, and Snowmore soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Hotcreek soils have a duripan above a depth of 12 inches. These soils are on landscape positions similar to Troughs soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Troughs soils are used mainly for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, Thurber needlegrass, and black sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Idaho. Troughs soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Elmore County Area, Idaho, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Argillic horizon - the zone from 2 to 8 inches (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 8 to 15 inches (Bkq horizon)
Indurated duripan - the zone from 15 to 30 inches (Bkqm horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 2 to 15 inches