LOCATION FRAILTON IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid, shallow Vitrixerandic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Frailton gravelly loam-on a 45 percent south-facing mountain side in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 9, 1978, the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 2 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent pebbles; slight effervescence in less than 5 percent of the soil material; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bk1--2 to 6 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; strong thin platy structure parting to strong very fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 35 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bk2--6 to 11 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) extremely flaggy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots along vertical and horizontal faces; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 85 percent flagstones; few lime coats 1 mm thick on undersides of rock fragments; minor pockets of soil with many roots; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Cr--11 inches; fractured layered tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Custer County, Idaho; about 9 miles southeast of Clayton, Idaho; about 1,300 feet south and 2,000 feet west from the northeast corner, sec. 17, T. 10N. R.19E. Latitude - 44 degrees, 12 minutes, 15 seconds North; Longitude - 114 degrees, 14 minutes, 18 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 44 degrees F
Control section - Percent clay: 10 to 21
Rock fragments averages: 50 to 90 percent
Depth to paralithic contact - 10 to 20 inches
Glass content - 30 to 70 percent
A horizon
Hue - 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value - 4 to 7 dry or moist
Chroma - 2 to 4, dry or moist
Bk horizon
Hue - 2.5Y to 7.5YR
Value - 3 to 5 dry or moist
Chroma - 3 or 4, dry or moist
Rock fragments - 35 to 90 percent
Textures - GRV-L, GRV-SL, FLX-L, FLX-SL
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 30 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Frailton soils are on foothills and mountain. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from tuff. Slopes are 15 to 60 percent. Elevations are 4,300 to 7,000 feet. The climate is cold and moist in winter and dry in summer. The average annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches; average annual temperature is 39 to 41 degrees F. Frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Custco, Dacont, Dawtonia, Germer and Gradco soils. Custco and Dacont soils are on mountains and have mollic epipedons. Dawtonia soils are on mountains and ridges, are very deep and have argillic horizons. Germer soils are on fan terraces and have argillic horizons. Gradco soils are on ridges and are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland. Vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass and Salmon wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Custer County, Idaho, 1999.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Calcic horizon - The zone from 2 to 11 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 11 inches (Cr horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the surface to 11 inches (Bk1 and Bk2 horizons).