Boulder Lake soil and landscape
A soil profile and landscape of the Boulder Lake soil series in Idaho. The Boulder Lake series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in lacustrine deposits and alluvium derived mainly from volcanic rocks.
Landscape: Boulder Lake soils are on depressions on plateaus and on lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Xeric Epiaquerts
Soil moisture: Usually ponded for less than 45 consecutive days in most years, mainly in the spring; brief ponding occurs after intensive rainfall. Saturated to a depth of 76 to 150 cm in late winter and spring; Seasonal periods of aquic moisture regime when the soil moisture control section is saturated and reduced.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 17 to 18 degrees C.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent but ranges to strongly effervescent in some pedons where few to common, very fine to medium filaments or masses of carbonate occur below depths of 50 cm.
Other features: Reversible trans-horizon cracks are normally open to the soil surface during summer and early fall, are up to 8 cm wide, and are 8 to 15 cm apart. They decrease in width with increasing depth. Cracks remain open for fewer than 180 consecutive days.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 40 to 60 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Boulder Lake soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly silver sagebrush, Nevada bluegrass, mat muhly, poverty weed, and primrose, with some Carex and Rumex species.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Boulder Lake soils are on depressions on plateaus and on lake plains. These soils formed in lacustrine deposits derived mainly from volcanic rocks such as tuff, basalt, and andesite. Gilgai microrelief is evident in most areas. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,400 to 2,200 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 230 to 510 mm, the mean annual temperature is 5 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada, northeastern California, south-central Oregon, and southwestern Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 23, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 21 and 25.
For additional information about Idaho soils, please visit:
storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/97d01af9d4554b9097cb0a477e04...
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/B/BOULDER_LAKE.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit:
Boulder Lake soil and landscape
A soil profile and landscape of the Boulder Lake soil series in Idaho. The Boulder Lake series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in lacustrine deposits and alluvium derived mainly from volcanic rocks.
Landscape: Boulder Lake soils are on depressions on plateaus and on lake plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Xeric Epiaquerts
Soil moisture: Usually ponded for less than 45 consecutive days in most years, mainly in the spring; brief ponding occurs after intensive rainfall. Saturated to a depth of 76 to 150 cm in late winter and spring; Seasonal periods of aquic moisture regime when the soil moisture control section is saturated and reduced.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 17 to 18 degrees C.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent but ranges to strongly effervescent in some pedons where few to common, very fine to medium filaments or masses of carbonate occur below depths of 50 cm.
Other features: Reversible trans-horizon cracks are normally open to the soil surface during summer and early fall, are up to 8 cm wide, and are 8 to 15 cm apart. They decrease in width with increasing depth. Cracks remain open for fewer than 180 consecutive days.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 40 to 60 percent.
USE AND VEGETATION: Boulder Lake soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly silver sagebrush, Nevada bluegrass, mat muhly, poverty weed, and primrose, with some Carex and Rumex species.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Boulder Lake soils are on depressions on plateaus and on lake plains. These soils formed in lacustrine deposits derived mainly from volcanic rocks such as tuff, basalt, and andesite. Gilgai microrelief is evident in most areas. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,400 to 2,200 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 230 to 510 mm, the mean annual temperature is 5 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Nevada, northeastern California, south-central Oregon, and southwestern Idaho. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 23, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 21 and 25.
For additional information about Idaho soils, please visit:
storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/97d01af9d4554b9097cb0a477e04...
For a detailed soil description, visit:
soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/B/BOULDER_LAKE.html
For acreage and geographic distribution, visit: