LOCATION EMBAL                   OR

Established Series
Rev. JSC-TDT-JVC-JBF
02/2011

EMBAL SERIES

The Embal series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from volcanic ash and volcanic rocks. Embal soils are on flood plains, stream terraces, and drainageways. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 300 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, frigid Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Embal ashy loam--on a 1 percent slope under basin big sagebrush at an elevation of 1,345 meters--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 18 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common roots; many irregularly shaped pores; about 40 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; slightly alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

A2--18 to 56 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common roots; common very fine tubular pores; about 40 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 64 cm thick)

ACkq--56 to 81 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; few very fine tubular pores; about 15 percent firm, brittle durinodes 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter; about 30 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

Ck--81 to 109 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few roots; few very fine tubular pores; about 30 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; abrupt wavy boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

Cq--109 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent firm, brittle durinodes; about 10 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Oregon; in the SE 1/4, SE 1/4, of the SE 1/4 of section 8, T. 19 S., R. 22 E. ; latitude 43 degrees 55 minutes 58 seconds N and longitude 120 degrees 6 minutes 2 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry in the moisture control section, moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall. aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 90 cm.
Depth to bedrock: Greater than 150 cm.
Vitrandic intergrade properties - Volcanic glass content: 30 to 50 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions; Phosphate retention: 15 to 25 percent; Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half oxalate extractable iron: 0.3 to 0.6 percent.
Other features - Organic matter decreases irregularly with depth; Some pedons have a weakly cemented duripan below 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 10 to 18 percent;
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent fine gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt.

A1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.

A2 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy loam or ashy sandy loam, gravelly ashy sandy loam, ashy silt loam, or ashy very fine sandy loam.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.

ACkq horizon (when present)
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Texture: Ashy loam or ashy sandy loam.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 2 percent.
Other features: Many pedons lack durinodes and identifiable secondary carbonates.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent.

Bw and Bk horizons (when present)
Hue: 7.5 YR through 2.5Y
Value: 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: ashy fine sandy loam or ashy sandy loam
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent

2 Bkq horizons (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 2.5 Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or mist
Texture: gravelly ashy sandy loam or very paragravelly ashy sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent
Pararock fragment content: 20 to 40 percent
Reaction: moderately alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 5 percent
Salinity (EC): 2 to 8 mmhos/cm

Ck and Cq horizons
Hue: 7.5YR through 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy loam, ashy sandy loam, or gravelly ashy sandy loam, cobbly ashy coarse sandy loam, ashy fine sandy loam, or gravelly ashy sandy loam.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent.
Other features: Many pedons lack durinodes and identifiable secondary carbonates; Some pedons have firm moist consistence with a brittle manner of failure.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Boltz, Bonnick, Borobey, Emamount, Frentera, Gardone, Oatmanflat, Picturerock, Stookmoor, Tuffcabin, and Wegert series.

Boltz soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Bonnick soils have mollic epipedons 25 to 50 cm thick, have ashy sandy textures in the particle-size control section, and have regular decrease in organic matter with depth. Borobey soils have firm, brittle horizons within 100 cm and have regular decrease in organic matter with depth. Emamount soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section and have endosaturation between 150 and 180 cm from the soil surface. Frentera, Stookmoor, and Wegert soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Gardone soils have mollic epipedons 25 to 38 cm thick, have ashy sandy textures in the particle-size control section, and have regular decrease in organic matter with depth. Oatmanflat and Tuffcabin soils have buried argillic horizons within 100 cm and buried duripans within 150 cm of the soil surface. Picturerock soils have mollic epipedons 18 to 28 cm thick and have regular decrease in organic matter with depth.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Embal soils are on flood plains, stream terraces, and drainageways. These soils formed in alluvium derived from volcanic ash and volcanic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Elevations range from 1,220 to 1,495 meters. The climate is semiarid and characterized by cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is typically 250 to 360 mm but may range down to 200 mm in some areas in Lake County, Oregon. The mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, mean January temperatures are -3 to -2 degrees C, and mean July temperatures are 15 to 16 degrees C. The frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fertaline and Ninemile soils. Fertaline soils are moderately deep to a duripan. Ninemile soils are shallow to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very low surface runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Some phases of these soils are susceptible to rare flooding for very brief periods between October and May.

USE AND VEGETATION: Embal soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly is basin big sagebrush, basin wildrye, Idaho fescue, and bluebunch wheatgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon. These soils are not extensive with about 2,500 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Upper Deschutes River Area, Oregon, 1992.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 56 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Cumulic feature - The epipedon is greater than 50 cm thick and organic matter decreases irregularly with depth.
Durinodes - The zones from 56 to 81 cm and 109 to 150 cm (ACkq and Cq horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 56 to 109 cm (ACkq and Ck horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 76 cm (A1 and A2 horizons and part of the ACkq horizon).
Particle-size control section and ashy substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (ACkq horizon and parts of the A2 and Ck horizons).

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.