LOCATION RIRIE ID+WYEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ririe silt loam - cultivated on a 6 percent west slope at 6,200 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common very fine pores; noncalcareous except occasional small spots from rodent and deep tillage activity; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
AB--6 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse and very coarse prismatic structure parting to very weak coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bk1--9 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) (10YR 6/2 crushed) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; strongly effervescent and common lime splotches; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bk2--14 to 25 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) (10YR 5/2 crushed) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots but none inside the nodules; many very hard and very firm rounded 0.5 to 0.8 inch nodules of dense soil material, which are less clacareous inside than on their surfaces; violently effervescent and much lime as coating on the peds and as veins; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bk3--25 to 35 inches; similar to Bk2 horizon except weak medium subangular blocky structure; common nodules, some 2 inches long; moderate lime coating; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk4--35 to 49 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam containing much coarse silt, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent and few very fine lime veins; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk5--49 to 65 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam containing much coarse silt, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Teton County, Idaho; about 10.9 miles west and 1.8 miles north of Felt; center of the north line of the southwest 1/4, southwest 1/4 of sec. 28, T. 7 N., R. 43 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 7 to 16 inches
Particle-size control section - 12 to 18 percent clay less than 15 percent particles coarser than very fine sand
Average annual soil temperature - 40 to 47 degrees F
Depth to calcic horizon - 7 to 16 inches
A horizon
Color value, dry - 4 or 5
Value, moist - 2 or 3
Chroma, dry or moist - 2 or 3
Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons
Color value, dry - 6 to 8
Value, moist - 3 to 6
Chroma, dry or moist - 1 to 4
Calcium carbonate - 15 to 35 percent
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Bk4 and Bk5 horizons
Color hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value, dry - 6 or 7
Value, moist - 4 to 6
Chroma, dry or moist - 2 to 4
Calcium carbonate - 15 to 35 percent
Reaction - slightly to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Gird and Rexburg series. Gird soils have a cambic horizon and 5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the calcic horizon. Rexburg soils have the upper boundary of the calcic horizon at a depth of 18 to 35 inches andhave a cambic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ririe soils are on foothills, mountain sides, plains and terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent. They formed in loess and silty alluvium derived from loess. The average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 18 inches. The average annual temperature ranges from 39 to 46 degrees F. Frost-free period is about 70 to 100 days. Elevation ranges from 4,600 to 7,000 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lanoak, Lantonia, Watercanyon, Tetonia, and the competing Rexburg series. Lanoak, Lantonia, and Tetonia soils are pachic. Also, Lanoak is fine-silty. Watercanyon soils lack a mollic epipedon. Lanoak, Lantonia, and Tetonia soils are on north and east-facing slopes. Rexburg soils are on the same landscape positions as Ririe but are at slightly higher elevations. Watercanyon soils are on south and west-facing slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: Ririe soils are used mainly as nonirrigated cropland but some areas are used as irrigated cropland and rangeland. The potential natural vegetation is dominated by mountain big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming. This series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Teton County, Idaho, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 9 inches (Ap and AB horizons)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 9 to 65 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3, Bk4 and Bk5 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches.
This series has been reclassified as of 5/00 by the addition of a superactive CEC activity class based on revision of Soil Taxonomy.