LOCATION KITTLESON OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy Xeric Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Kittleson sandy loam, in forest on a 50 percent north facing slope. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--3 inches to 0; white fir needles.
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
A2--2 to 16 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/4) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
Bw1--16 to 23 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam, light brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.9); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bw2-- 23 to 44 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam, light brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent soft weathered fragments of rhyolite; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 31 inches thick)
Cr-- 44 inches; highly weathered tuffaceous bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; SW1/4, NE1/4 of section 35, T. 37 S., R 21 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are moist in the winter and spring and are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days after the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F. The soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
from about June to November (5 months). The bulk density is 0.85 to 0.95 grams per cubic centimeter in the fine earth fraction. Depth to bedrock is 40 inches or more. The particle-size control section averages 0 to 10 percent gravel and 10 to 18 percent clay. The very fine sand fraction contains 50 to 70 percent glass. It is moderately to slightly acid.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 when moist and 4 or 5 when dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 when moist and 3 or 4 when dry.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 when moist and 5 or 6 when dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 when moist and dry. It is loam or sandy loam. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent of which 0 to 5 percent are cobbles and 0 to 15 percent are gravel. Rock fragments are mainly rhyolite.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kittleson soils are on mountainsides at elevations of 6,300 to 7,200 feet. Slopes are 15 to 70 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum primarily from pyroclastic rocks. The climate is cold and moist in winters and cool and dry in summers. The mean annual precipitation is 30 to 34 inches. The mean annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free period is 20 to 50 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chocktoot, Hallihan, Hammersley and Polander soils. Chocktoot and Hammersley soils have mollic epipedons. Hallihan soils are ashy-skeletal in the particle-size control section. Polander soils have a frigid soil temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for timber production, watershed, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Vegetation is white fir, sticky currant, and wheeler bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Oregon, MLRA 21. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Oregon; Southern Part, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 1 to 16 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - 16 to 44 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons)
Classification into Andisols is based on laboratory data (glass count and 15 bar water) for the Twelvemile series. Phosphorous retention is assumed to be greater than 25 percent and acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid oxalate extractable iron is assumed to be greater than 0.4 percent.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Forest Service vegetative site CW-C4-11.