LOCATION ALTHOUSE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Althouse very gravelly silt loam, woodland, at 4,720 feet elevation. (When described the soil was moist below 12 inches. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
0i--1 inch to 0; partially decomposed needles and twigs.
A--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) crushed, dark brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine pores; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (1 inch to 5 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine pores; 60 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--9 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 65 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Bw3--18 to 31 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 20 to 47 inches)
C--31 to 46 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely gravelly silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many pores; 65 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
Cr--46 to 50 inches; partially weathered metamorphic volcanic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Josephine County, Oregon; about 1 mile southwest of Oregon Caves National Monument; 1,360 feet east and 2,080 feet south of the northwest corner of section 16, T.40S., R.6W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 22 to 50 inches. Depth to the paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry between depths of 12 and 24 inches for 45 to 60 consecutive days in the four months that follow the summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 50 to 85 percent rock fragments of which 0 to 20 percent are cobbles and stones. The control section averages 10 to 18 percent clay.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is very gravelly silt loam or very gravelly loam. It has 30 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It is loam or silt loam and has 10 to 18 percent clay. It has 35 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 moist, 6 to 8 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is loam or silt loam and has 55 to 75 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ardtoo, Beargulch, Hangtown, Jayar, Minaloosa, Notned, Smokey, Treble, and Umpa soils. Ardtoo soils have 2C horizons within the series control section. Beargulch soils are dry fro 75 to 85 consecutive days and have greater than 15 percent mica in the particle-size control section. Hangtown soils are fine sandy loam or sandy loam in the fine earth fraction and are less than 40 inches to the base of the Bw horizon. Jayar, Smokey, and Umpa soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Minaloosa soils are very deep, contain 35 to 60 percent rock fragments, and have Bt horizons. Notned and Treble soils are greater than 60 inches deep to bedrock, and are moderately coarse textured in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Althouse soils are on mountain side slopes. Elevations are 3,000 to 5,500 feet. Slopes are 30 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rock. The climate is characterized by cool, moist to wet winters and hot, dry summers. Mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is typically 50 to 70 inches but in areas of high winter rainfall, may range to 120 inches. The frost-free period is 50 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beekman, Bigelow, Colestine, Crannler, Goodwin, Josephine, Skymor, Speaker and Woodseye soils and the competing Jayar soils. Beekman, Colestine, Josephine and Speaker soils are on associated south slopes and have mesic soil temperature. Bigelow and Crannler soils have an umbric epipedon and cryic soil temperature. Goodwin and Woodseye soils have an umbric epipedon. Skymor soils are 12 to 20 inches deep to a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Althouse soils are used for wildlife habitat, timber production, recreation, water supply and livestock grazing. Natural vegetation dominantly is white fir, Douglas fir, shasta red fir, rhododendron, cascade Oregongrape, spreading phlox, deerfoot vanillaleaf, beargrass, princes pine, fescue and mountain brome. In high rainfall areas of Curry County, Oregon, natural vegetation includes sugar pine, tanoak, golden chinkapin, and Saddler oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of southwestern Oregon; MLRA 5. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Josephine County, Oregon, l979.
REMARKS: Formerly classified as loamy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Dystric Xerochrepts, competing series not updated at the time of reclassification.
Diagnostic horizons and features include:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - the zone from 3 to 31 inches (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches
Dystric feature - the zone from 9 to 19 inches (Bw2) having a base saturation (sum) of 50 percent and the zone from 19 to 31 inches (Bw3) having a base saturation (sum) of 32 percent
In the mountains of interior Curry County, Oregon, the mean annual precipitation ranges up to 120 inches due to elevated winter rainfall; summer periods are hot and dry.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil characterization data on 1 pedon, 82U(1-5), from Oregon State University.