LOCATION BRAUN              OR
Established Series
Rev. RWL/GLG/AON
06/1999

BRAUN SERIES


The Braun series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium weathered from siltstone. Braun soils are on mountains and have slopes of 0 to 90 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 65 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, mesic Dystric Eutrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Braun silt loam, wooded. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

O--0 to 2 inches; leaves, twigs, moss and woody materials.

A--2 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent 2 to 5 millimeters siltstone paragravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

AB--6 to 11 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent siltstone paragravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Bw--11 to 20 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent siltstone paragravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

BC--20 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 30 percent siltstone paragravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)

Cr--32 inches; fractured soft siltstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Columbia County, Oregon; 100 feet north of Corral Road 192 in the northwest 1/4 southeast 1/4 southeast 1/4, sec. 13, T. 4 N., R. 4 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is usually moist but is dry for a short period of less than 45 consecutive days during the summer. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. Depth to paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section is silt loam or loam and is 18 to 25 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser. Soft siltstone paragravel range from 25 to 60 percent.

The A horizon has a value of 3 or 4 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is 14 to 18 percent clay and 5 to 15 percent weathered siltstone paragravel.

The AB horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Soft siltstone paragravel range from 5 to 25 percent and soft siltstone paracobbles from 0 to 15 percent.

The Bw horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. Soft siltstone paragravel range from 20 to 40 percent and soft siltstone paracobbles from 0 to 25 percent.

The BC horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is loam or silt loam. Soft siltstone paragravel range from 25 to 50 percent and soft siltstone paracobbles from 0 to 30 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Camillus and Garmon series. Camillus soils are slightly acid or neutral and have less than 25 percent coarse fragments. Garmon soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Braun soils are on mountains at elevations of 100 to 2,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium weathered from siltstone. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and warm moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 60 to 80 inches. Mean January temperature is 35 to 37 degrees F, mean July temperature is 60 to 63 degrees F, mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 100 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bacona, Glohm, Hembre, Klickitat, Mayger, Scaponia and Vernonia soils. Bacona and Vernonia soils have an argillic horizon. Glohm soils are moderately well drained and have a fragipan. Hembre soils have an umbric epipedon. Klickitat soils have an umbric epipedon and have more than 50 percent unweathered rock fragments in their sola. Mayger soils are somewhat poorly drained and fine textured. Scaponia soils have less than 60 percent base saturation.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, vine maple, cascade Oregon-grape, creambush oceanspray, red huckleberry, salal, and western swordfern.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Coast Range in northwestern Oregon. This series is moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Columbia County, Oregon, 1983.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial characterization data for the typical pedon (S78-OR-09-5-1 thru 4) completed by OSU lab at Corvallis, Oregon.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:

Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - from 11to 32 inches (Bw and BC horizon)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.