LOCATION BLUEBELL NV+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Pachic Argicryolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bluebell loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 6 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, many fine, common medium, and common coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--6 to 17 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, many fine, common medium, and common coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
BA--17 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, many fine, common medium, and common coarse roots; common very fine and common fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
2Bt--22 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and common fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 10 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
2R--29 inches; tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation about 4 miles northeast of Owyhee and south of Timber Point; about 2,250 feet south and 2,700 feet west of the northeast corner of section 16, T. 47 N., R. 53 E.; USGS Owyhee 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 58 minutes 26 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees 01 minute 27 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter, spring, and early summer; dry later in summer and fall; Xeric moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 41 to 44 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 58 to 60 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 40 inches; includes the Bt horizon.
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: 25 to 35 percent; Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent, mainly cobbles and stones. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt and tuff.
A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 3 through 5 dry.
Chroma: 1 through 3, dry or moist.
Structure: Weak or moderate, very fine to medium granular or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry.
Reaction: Moderately acid through neutral.
Organic matter content: 1 to 5 percent.
Bt horizon(s) - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very cobbly clay loam, very cobbly loam, very stony clay loam, or extremely cobbly clay loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 50 to 80 percent, mainly cobbles and stones.
Structure: Weak or moderate, fine to coarse subangular blocky structure.
Reaction: Moderately acid or slightly acid.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Angelwhine (T), Aspetill (T), Badwater, Bickmore, Booneville, Buena Vista, Dab (T), Delhew (T), Hawkinspeak (T), Keman, Littlemud (T), Lostcannon (T), Monibasin (T), Parkalley (T), Parkay, Redbird, Rutherford, Sweetmount (T), and Woodhurst series.
Angelwhine, Aspetill, Badwater, Booneville, Dab, Delhew, Keman, Lostcannon, Monibasin, Parkalley, and Redbird soils are very deep. Bickmore soils have identifiable secondary carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon and have rock fragments that are limestone in the particle-size control section. Buena Vista soils have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates. Hawkinspeak and Rutherford soils are dominated by gravel in the particle-size control section. Littlemud soils are dominated by gravel in the particle-size control section, have mollic epipedons that range from 16 to 20 inches thick, and have mean summer soil temperature of 52 to 56 degrees F. Parkay soils do not have lithic contacts within 40 inches of the soil surface and have mean summer soil temperature of 52 to 58 degrees F. Sweetmount soils are deep to paralithic contacts. Woodhurst soils are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and have mean annual soil temperature of 44 to 47 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluebell soils are on mountains and plateaus. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks such as andesite, basalt, or tuff. Slopes are 5 to 65 percent. Elevations range from 4,100 to 7,500 feet. The climate is subhumid with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 26 inches, most of which comes as snow. Additional moisture may occur as a result of snow drifting and trapping by vegetation. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free period is 20 to 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Parkay soil and the Dranyon and Strickland soils. Dranyon soils are fine-loamy and do not have lithic contacts within 40 inches of the soil surface. Strickland soils are fine-loamy, moderately deep to lithic contacts, and have cambic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability to bedrock.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bluebell soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation in northeastern Nevada and southwestern Idaho is snowbrush ceanothus, mountain big sagebrush, common snowberry, and mountain brome. In central Idaho these soils support a forest canopy of ponderosa pine with an understory of mountain big sagebrush, Idaho fescue, and arrowleaf balsamroot.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southwestern Idaho and northeastern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept is in MLRA 25, while the main acreage is in MLRA 43C.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Modoc County (Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area), California, 1971.
REMARKS: The revision of February 2004 changed the typical pedon and moved the type location from Modoc County, California to Elko County, Nevada. The original type location in Modoc County, California was reexamined by field soil scientists in 2003. The Bluebell soils in the Surprise Valley-Home Camp Area soil survey has been determined to be very deep, ashy-skeletal, and is now correlated to the tentative Cowbell series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 29 inches (A1, A2, BA, and 2Bt horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 22 to 29 inches (2Bt horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 29 inches to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (2R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 22 to 29 inches (2Bt horizon).