LOCATION MUTT OR

Established Series
Rev. JAS/RWL
06/2011

MUTT SERIES

The Mutt series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium dominantly from sedimentary rock. Mutt soils formed on ridgetops and old slumps of mountains. Slopes are 5 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 105 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 44 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, isotic, frigid Andic Humudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Mutt medial silt loam - woodland, on a 10 percent southeast-facing slope at 2,100 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on July 15, 1991, the soil was moist throughout.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed mat of needles, leaves, twigs, roots and moss. A thin discontinuous lense of Mount St Helens ash is at the boundary between the Oi and the A1 horizon.

A1--1 to 4 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) medial silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent 1 to 5 mm iron-manganese concretions; 5 percent basalt gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear smooth boundary.

A2--4 to 13 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent 1 to 5 mm iron-manganese concretions; 2 percent basalt gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 20 inches.)

Bw--13 to 25 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent siltstone paragravel; 2 percent basalt gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick.)

Cr--25 inches; fractured and partially weathered siltstone.

TYPE LOCATION: Tillamook County, Oregon, about 1.5 miles northeast of Dovre Peak, about 2,200 feet west, 500 feet north of the southeast corner of section 1, T. 3 S., R. 7 W. (Latitude 45 degrees, 17 minutes, 58 seconds N, Longitude 123 degrees, 29 minutes, 17 seconds W); NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is usually moist but is dry less than 45 consecutive days between the depths of 4 and 12 inches following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. The upper 3 to 7 inches of the epipedon has ammonium-acetate extractable Al + Fe of 2.0 to 3.0 percent, a moist bulk density of 0.75 to 0.90 g/cc, phosphate retention of more than 85 percent, and 15-bar moisture of more than 15 percent. The lower part to a depth of 20 inches has ammonium-acetate extractable Al + Fe of 1.0 to 3.0 percent and a moist bulk density of 0.90 to 1.0 g/cc. Andic soil properties, when present, do not extend beyond 14 inches. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 34 percent clay and has less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand.

The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry. The A1 horizon is medial silt loam and the A2 horizon is silt loam or medial silt loam. The A horizon has 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 25 percent paragravel.

The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 4 to 6 moist or dry. It is silt loam or silty clay loam and has 18 to 34 percent clay. It has 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 60 percent paragravel.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the McMille series. McMille soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Mutt soils are on summits and old slump benches of mountains. Slopes are 5 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,800 to 3,000 feet. The climate is characterized by cool, wet winters and warm, moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 130 inches. The mean annual temperature is 42 to 46 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing McMille soils and the Caterl, Giveout, Laderly and Murtip soils. McMille soils are on ridgetops and old slumps of mountains associated with sedimentary rock and are more than 40 inches deep to a Cr horizon. Caterl, Giveout, Laderly and Murtip soils are on ridgetops, benches and side slopes of mountains associated with volcanic rock. Caterl soils are medial-skeletal and are 40 to 60 inches to bedrock. Laderly soils are medial-skeletal and are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Giveout soils are medial and are 20 to 40 inches to a Cr horizon in volcanic rock. Murtip soils are medial and are 40 to 60 inches deep to a Cr horizon in volcanic rock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for timber production and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, noble fir, red alder, vine maple, salal, cascade Oregongrape, western swordfern, red huckleberry and tall blue huckleberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Coast Range Mountains of Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tillamook County, Oregon 2006.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Umbric epipedon - from 1 to 13 inches (A1 and A2 horizon)
Cambic horizon - from 13 to 25 inches (Bw horizon)
Particle size control section - from 11 to 25 inches (lower 2 inches of the A2 horizon and the Bw horizon)
Andic subgroup feature - from 1 to 13 inches (A1 and A2) and meeting andic soil properties.

Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.

A proposal was submitted to NSSC (2000) to revise the definition of medial to also include those soil properties qualifying for the Andic subgroup under criteria #1 for andic soil properties. If accepted, medial modifiers would be used for those horizons meeting the andic subgroup criteria although not always meeting andic soil properties.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.