LOCATION SANKEY OR
Established Series
Rev. MHF/GJW/RWL
06/2011
SANKEY SERIES
The Sankey series consists of shallow, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types. Sankey soils occur in open grassland areas on ridgetops and south-facing side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 110 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, mesic Lithic Humudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Sankey very gravelly sandy clay loam - grassland, on a 39 percent southwest-facing slope at 2,320 feet elevation. (When described on October 30, 1989 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
AB--4 to 13 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very cobbly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--13 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness of the Bw horizon is 4 to 6 inches)
R--17 inches; fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; about 330 feet north and 1,650 feet east of the southwest corner of section 3, T. 38 S., R. 12 W., W. M.(Latitude 42 degrees, 16 minutes, 55 seconds N.; Longitude 124 degrees, 06 minutes, 27 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry for less than 45 consecutive days in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches in the four months following the summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and has 45 to 80 percent rock fragments. Depth to bedrock and solum thickness is 14 to 20 inches. Soil reaction is very strongly or strongly acid throughout. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 14 inches thick.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is very gravelly sandy clay loam with 20 to 25 percent clay. It has 25 to 35 percent gravel, 5 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 3 percent stones.
The AB horizon has color similar to the A horizon. It is very cobbly sandy clay loam with 27 to 30 percent clay. It has 25 to 30 percent gravel, 15 to 25 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
The Bw horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is very cobbly sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, or extremely cobbly clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay. It has 25 to 50 percent gravel, 25 to 30 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Goldbeach and the
Kilchis series. Goldbeach soils have particle-size control sections averaging 18 to 25 percent clay and channer-shaped rock fragments in the solum. Kilchis soils have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR in the Bw horizon, and 18 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sankey soils occur in open grassland areas on metastable ridgetops and south-facing side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types of the Dothan Formation. Elevations are 300 to 3,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm wet winters and hot moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 90 to 130 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 160 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Averlande,
Bravo,
Cassiday,
Fritsland,
Grouslous,
Hazelcamp,
Quailprairie,
Skookumhouse, and
Swedeheaven soils. Averlande, Hazelcamp and Skookumhouse soils are on ridgetops of mountains and have argillic horizons. Hazelcamp and Skookumhouse soils are clayey and have a paralithic bedrock contact. Bravo, Cassiday and Fritsland soils are on side slopes of mountains. Bravo and Cassiday soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock and have ochric epipedons. Bravo soils are fine-loamy. Fritsland soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock, have an ochric epipedon and are fine-loamy. Grouslous soils are on steep side slopes of mountains have an ochric epipedon. Quailprairie soils are greater than 60 inches deep to bedrock and are fine-loamy. Swedeheaven soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Quailprairie and Swedeheaven soils occur in open grassland areas on ridgetops and south-facing side slopes of mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wildlife habitat and recreation. The vegetation is brome, bentgrass, dock, western brackenfern, woodrush, spikerush, smallflower nemophila, lotus, Klamath weed, lupine, and western buttercup.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of southwestern Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Curry County, Oregon, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Umbric epipedon - from the surface to a depth of 13 inches (A1, A2 horizons).
Lithic subgroup - soil depth is 17 inches to bedrock.
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 17 inches (part of the A2 horizon, Bw horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial data available for pedon 90P 313, sample 90P1909 from Curry County, Oregon sampled by NSSL at Lincoln, Nebraska - 3/90.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.