LOCATION SCHNIPPER IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Argiduridic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Schnipper silt loam -- on a slope of 2 percent under a crested wheatgrass seeding at 5,000 feet elevation. When described on September 30, 1977, the soil profile was slightly moist to 4 inches and dry below. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common very hard 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter durinodes; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)
Bkq--15 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine to medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; many very hard 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter durinodes; violently effervescent (24 percent calcium carbonate); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 22 inches thick)
Bkqm--30 to 39 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; extremely hard, firm; 30 percent gravel; indurated thin laminar capping on top of horizon; weakly cemented matrix; strongly effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 24 inches thick)
2Bk--39 to 66 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; light gray (10YR 7/2) common fine to medium segregated lime filaments, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) moist; violently effervescent (25 percent calcium carbonate); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Twin Falls County, Idaho; about 8 miles east of Hollister; northwest 1/4, northwest 1/4, southwest 1/4 of section 25, T. 12 S., R. 17 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 15 inches
Depth to calcium carbonates - 9 to 29 inches
Depth to duripan - 20 to 40 inches
Depth to bedrock - 40 to more than 60 inches
Particle-size control section - 18 to 35 percent clay
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
AB horizons are present in some pedons
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Bt horizon
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 2 through 4 dry or moist
Texture - SICL, CL, L (26 to 35 percent clay)
Bkq or Bk horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 15 to 25 percent
Reaction (pH) - moderately or strongly alkaline
Durinode content - 0 to 25 percent
Bkqm horizon
Thickness of laminar cap and subsequent laminations - 1/8 to 1/2 inch
Cementation of matrix - very weak to moderate
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Modoc, Selah, Seval, and Sweet series. Modoc soils do not have Bk horizons above the duripan. Selah soils do not have Bk horizons above the duripan and have an indurated duripan over 6 inches thick. Seval soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Sweet soils lack indurated laminar caps.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Schnipper soils are on basalt plains, benches, tablelands, terraces and terrace sideslopes. The slope ranges from 1 to 12 percent. The soils formed in alluvium and loess from mixed sources. Elevations are 3,200 to 5,500 feet. The average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 14 inches. The average annual temperature is 45 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nawt, Rogerson and Stricker soils. Nawt and Stricker soils occur on breaks, and lack a duripan. Rogerson soils occur on the same landscape, but have fine textured B horizons, and are shallow to a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow or medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Schnipper soils are used mainly for rangeland, cropland, and wildlife habitat. The dominant natural vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Thurber needlegrass, and basin big sagebrush or Wyoming big sagebrush. Irrigated wheat, corn, potatoes, and nonirrigated wheat and barley are the principal crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Schnipper soils are of small extent in southern Idaho.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Twin Falls County, Idaho, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon - zone from 0 to 7 inches (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - zone from 7 to 15 inches (Bt horizon)
Calcic horizon - zone from 15 to 30 inches (Bkq horizon)
Particle-size control section - zone from 7 to 30 inches (Bt and Bkq horizons)
Duripan - zone from 30 to 39 inches (Bkqm horizon)