LOCATION ERA OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls
TYPIFYING PEDON: Era ashy loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy and weak very fine granular structure; loose, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 20 percent sand-size pumice; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A1--3 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent sand-size pumice; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
A2--8 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; 20 percent sand-size pumice; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--16 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent sand-size pumice; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Bk1--23 to 37 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; 20 percent sand-size pumice; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bk2--37 to 48 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few very fine roots; strongly effervescent; few light gray lime seams; 5 percent lime coated gravel and cobbles; 20 percent sand-size pumice; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2).
2Cr--48 inches; soft bedrock of the Deschutes Formation.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Oregon; 15 feet east of the north south fence; 1,320 feet north, 1,200 feet east of SW corner section 34, T.11S., R.14E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. the soils are dry for 90 to 120 cumulative days. The mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 5 to 15 percent clay. Sand-sized pumice ash (glass) is 10 to 30 percent throughout and the acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron is 0.4 to 0.8 percent. Depth to carbonates is 20 to 36 inches and soft powdery secondary carbonates are present at 30 to 44 inches. Depth to consolidated sediments, basalt or gravelly or cobbly colluvial material is 40 to over 60 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. The upper part has weak, medium, platy or weak, fine, granular structure and the lower part has weak granular, prismatic or subangular blocky structure.
The Bw and Bk1 horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist. It is ashy sandy loam or ashy loam and has weak prismatic, weak subangular blocky structure or is massive. It is neutral to strongly alkaline.
The Bk2 horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is ashy sandy loam or ashy loam and contains 0 to 50 percent rock fragments. It is slightly to very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Caphealy, Deschutes, Houstake and Lafollette series. Caphealy and Deschutes soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Houstake soils have a hard, firm, brittle layer at 20 to 40 inches. Lafollette soils are 20 to 30 inches deep to sand and gravel.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Era soils are on hills and along drainages at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 40 percent. These soils formed in moderately coarse and medium textured eolian materials of mixed origin high in ash. The climate is semiarid, with hot, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. The mean summer temperature is 61 to 65 degrees F.; the mean winter temperature is 32 to 36 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. The frost free period is 70 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Agency, Haystack, Lamonta, Metolius, Madras, and McCoin soils. Agency and Madras soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock and are fine-loamy. Haystack soils are loamy-skeletal. Lamonta soils have a clayey argillic horizon. Metolius soils have an ochric epipedon. McCoin soils are less than 20 inches deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to somewhat excessively drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, pasture, and small grains. Potential native plants are needleandthread, Idaho fescue, basin big sagebrush and antelope bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon; MLRA 10, pumice zone. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Oregon; Trout Creek-Shaniko Area, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features: -Mollic epipedon- the zone from 0 to 16 inches (Ap, A1, A2 horizons)
-Cambic horizon- the zone from 16 to 37 inches (Bw and Bk1 horizons)
-Soft secondary carbonates from 37 to 48 inches (Bk2 horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Oregon State University S68-16-5-(1-6) and NSSL S89OR-31-13.