LOCATION WESTBUTTE OR+NV
Established Series
Rev. JSC/AON/RWL
12/2022
WESTBUTTE SERIES
The Westbutte series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium weathered from basalt, tuff and andesite. Westbutte soils are on tops and north facing hill, plateau and mountain side slopes. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 15 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Westbutte extremely stony loam, on a north-facing slope in sagebrush steppe. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 5 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.7); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
Bw--12 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 10 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt broken boundary (8 to 24 inches thick)
R--24 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, 400 feet south and 600 feet east of the northwest corner of section 19, T.41S., R.35E., on the Van Horn Basin quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist and are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days after the summer solstice. The soils are warmer than 41 degrees F. from May 1 to November 1. The mean annual soil temperature is 40 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock, the mollic epipedon and the solum thickness are 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section is 18 to 30 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones.
The A horizon has value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry and moist. This horizon has 0 to 5 percent pumiceous ash. It is loam, very cobbly loam, cobbly loam, stony loam, very stony loam, and extremely stony loam. It has 0 to 50 percent cobbles and stones and 0 to 45 percent gravel. It is slightly acid or neutral.
Some pedons have an AB horizon having value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist 2 to 4 dry. This horizon has subangular blocky or granular structure or both. It is extremely cobbly clay loam, extremely cobbly loam, very cobbly clay loam, very stony loam or very cobbly loam. It has 20 to 50 percent cobbles, 0 to 20 percent stones and 5 to 35 percent gravel. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Baldridge,
Burgi,
Chambeam,
Climine,
Ginser,
Glean,
Lambring,
Rondowa,
Shorthike,
Sinker,
Smidale,
St. Anthony,
Webfoot and Willynot series. All of these soils except for Ginser and Sinker soils are over 40 inches deep. Ginser soils are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. Sinker soils have 35 to 60 percent channers in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Westbutte soils are on tops and north facing hill, plateau and mountain side slopes. Elevation is 4,000 to 7,500 feet. Slopes range from 2 to 75 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from lava rocks. The climate is characterized by cold wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 11 to 18 inches. The mean annual temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F, average January temperature is 25 to 29 degrees F, and average July temperature is 57 to 61 degrees F. The frost-free period is 40 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Lonegrave,
Beden,
Lambring and
Ninemile soils. Lonegrave soils are on adjacent south slopes have an ochric epipedon and an aridic soil moisture regime. Lambring soils are deep or very deep. Ninemile soils are shallow to bedrock, have a clayey argillic horizon and are on stable slopes. Beden soils are shallow to bedrock and have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Westbutte soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation mainly is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sagebrush, and scattered western juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and Southeastern Oregon and northwestern Nevada; MLRA 23 and 10. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, Oregon, Southern Part, 1991.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon (pachic) - the zone from 0 to 24 inches
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.