LOCATION CROSSWHITE OR
Tentative Series
IRD. AEK/RAW/DAL
03/2013
CROSSWHITE SERIES
The Crosswhite series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils on mountain backslopes. Crosswhite soils formed in volcanic ash over colluvium weathered from andesite. Slopes are 5 to 50 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 26 inches and mean annual temperature about 51 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy-skeletal, glassy over isotic, frigid Alfic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Crosswhite ashy sandy loam - woodland, on a 31 percent northwest-facing slope at elevation of 5,300 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. Soil textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and twigs.
A--1 to 5 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common very fine, and fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 3 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 16 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) ashy sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common very fine and fine and few medium roots throughout; few very fine irregular pores; 3 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
2AEb--16 to 22 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) very gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine and few fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2Btb--22 to 38 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common distinct clay films on ped faces; few very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine and common fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
2R--38 inches; andesite
TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Oregon
Section 13 (NW1/4, NE1/4, NW1/4), T. 12 S., R. 18 E.
Latitude: 44 degrees, 31 minutes, 58 seconds; north
Longitude: 120 degrees, 31 minutes, 06 seconds; west
UTM Zone 10; 4,933,820 northing; 697,190 easting; NAD 27
USGS Quadrangle: Opal Mountain
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: frigid regime
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 39 to 47 degrees F
Mean Summer Soil Temperature: 46 to 55 degrees F
Mean Winter Soil Temperature: 32 to 37 degrees F
Soil Moisture: xeric regime, dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer
Particle-size Control Section: mineral surface to top of lithic contact
Upper part (ashy): 14 to 24 inches thick
Clay content, average: 4 to 8 percent
Rock fragment content, average: 0 to 10 percent
Lower part (loamy-skeletal part): 7 to 22 inches thick
Clay content, average: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragment content, average: 40 to 75 percent
Diagnostic Horizon Features:
andic soil properties: upper boundary at the mineral surface; 14 to 24 inches thick
Al+1/2Fe(aox): 0.4 to 0.6 percent
bulk density: 0.65 to 1.0 g/cc
P retention: 30 to 40 percent
0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 40 to 70 percent of fine earth
glass content in the 0.02-2.0mm fraction: 60 to 90 percent
water content at 1500 kPa (air dried): 5 to 12 percent
8Si + 2Fe (aox): 3 to 5 percent
ochric epipedon: 2 to 7 inches thick
cambic horizon: 7 to 16 inches thick
argillic horizon: 5 to 16 inches thick
lithic contact, depth below mineral soil surface: 20 to 40 inches
A horizon:
color, moist: 7.5YR 2.5/2, 2.5/3, 3/1, 3/2; 10YR 3/3, 3/4
color, dry: 7.5YR 4/2, 5/3, 6/3; 10YR 4/3, 5/3, 5/4
texture: ASHY-SL
clay content: 4 to 6 percent
rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent
gravel: 0 to 15 percent
cobbles: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3.
base saturation: 45 to 75 percent (by the sum of bases)
organic carbon: 1.5 to 2.5 percent
Bw horizon:
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/4; 10YR 3/4, 3/6, 4/3
color, dry: 7.5YR 5/4, 6/4; 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 6/4
texture: ASHY-SL, ASHY-SIL
clay content: 4 to 10 percent
rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent
gravel: 0 to 15 percent
cobbles: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3.
base saturation: 45 to 75 percent (by the sum of bases)
organic carbon: 0.6 to 1.5 percent
2AEb horizon; may include 2Eb, 2EBb, 2Bwb horizons:
color, moist: 5YR 3/3; 7.5YR 3/4, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4; 10YR 3/4
color, dry: 7.5YR 6/3, 6/4, 6/6; 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 7/4
texture: GRV-SL, GRV-SIL, STV-SL, GRV-L
clay content: 8 to 18 percent
rock fragment content: 35 to 60 percent
gravel: 10 to 35 percent
cobbles: 10 to 25 percent
stones: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid; pH: 6.1 to 6.5.
base saturation: 70 to 75 percent (by the sum of bases)
2Btb horizons:
color, moist: 5YR 3/4, 4/4; 7.5YR 4/3, 4/4, 4/6; 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4
color, dry: 5YR 5/3, 5/4; 7.5YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/4, 6/6; 10YR 3/4, 5/3, 5/4, 6/4
texture: GRV-CL, GRV-SCL, GRX-L, CBX-SCL
clay content: 18 to 35 percent
rock fragment content: 40 to 80 percent
gravel: 20 to 65 percent
cobbles: 5 to 45 percent
stones: 0 to 15 percent
reaction: slightly acid; pH: 6.1 to 6.5.
base saturation: 70 to 75 percent (by the sum of bases)
COMPETING SERIES:
These are the
Shaser and
Windego series
Shaser and
Windego soils are very deep
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: planar to convex, depositional, mountain backslopes, of water dissected hard pyroclastic flows
Slope gradient: 5 to 50 percent
Parent material: volcaniclastic volcanic ash over colluvium
Lithology: Mazama ash over Clarno formation andesite
Elevation: 3,700 to 5,500 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters; warm, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 19 to 31 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 37 to 44 degrees F.
Frost-free period: 30 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Norlo: on sideslopes and benches on southerly aspects or lower elevation north aspects, very deep soil with a thick volcanic ash mantle and argillic horizon under grand fir or
Douglas fir forest with pinegrass or elk sedge in the understory
Jackalope: occur on planar to concave lower backslopes, deep to bedrock with a thick volcanic ash mantle and argillic horizon under grand fir with longtube twinflower in the understory (udic soil moisture regime)
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well drained
Permeability: moderate in the ashy material over slow in the colluvial material
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: Woodland, range, recreation, wildlife, watershed
Native vegetation: grand fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, grouse huckleberry, big huckleberry, common snowberry, baldhip rose, common yarrow, showy aster, mountain strawberry, heartleaf arnica, sedum, pinegrass, Columbian brome, and elk sedge.
Plant association: Dominate: ABGR/VAME (grand fir/big huckleberry); may include: ABGR/BRVU (grand fir/ Columbian brome)
Dry Phase: Dominate: ABGR/CARU (grand fir/pinegrass); may include: ABGR/CAGE (grand fir/elk sedge) or ABGR/VASC (grand fir/grouse huckleberry)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Northeastern Oregon; MLRA 10
Extent: Moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Crook County, Oregon 2007. The name was from a peak on the Rowe Creek quadrangle map called Crosswhite Butte.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon:
cambic horizon: 5 to 16 inches; Bw horizon
argillic horizon: 22 to 38 inches; 2Btb horizon
particle-size control section:
ashy part: 1 to 16 inches; A, Bw horizons
loamy-skeletal part: 16 to 38 inches; 2AEb, 2Btb horizons
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.