LOCATION ZALEA OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Typic Haplohumults
TYPICAL PEDON: Zalea gravelly loam-woodland, on a 27 percent west-facing slope at an elevation of 2,920 feet. (When described on August 6, 1986, the soil profile was dry throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and woody material.
A1--1 to 5 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium roots; many fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.
A2--5 to 9 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 5 to 8 inches)
Bt1--9 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent gravel and 15 percent soft rock fragments; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--17 to 32 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent gravel and 25 percent soft rock fragments; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--32 to 35 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; moderate coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent gravel, 3 percent cobbles, and 30 percent soft rock fragments; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 15 to 32 inches)
R--35 inches; fractured siltstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; located about 2,200 feet south and 1,800 feet east of the northwest corner of section 13, T.37 S., R. 13 W., W. M. (Latitude 42 degrees, 22 minutes, 31 seconds N.; Longitude 124 degrees, 11 minutes, 49 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 46 degrees F. The soils are usually moist and 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 30 to 35 percent clay, 15 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, and 0 to 35 percent soft rock fragments. Depth to bedrock and solum thickness is 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 4 to 6 dry. It is gravelly loam with 18 to 25 percent clay. It has 15 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent soft rock fragments.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 4 to 6 moist and dry. It is gravelly clay loam with 30 to 35 percent clay. It has 15 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 3 percent cobbles, and 0 to 35 percent soft rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zalea soils are on metastable broad ridgetops of mountains. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from highly sheared metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types of the Dothan Formation. Elevations are 2500 to 3800 feet. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and warm moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 130 to 160 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bobsgarden, Pyrady, Euchrand, Rilea, Stackyards, and Yorel soils. Bobsgarden, Pyrady, Rilea and Yorel soils occur on broad ridgetops or side slopes of mountains. Bobsgarden, soils are loamy-skeletal and are greater than 60 inches deep to bedrock. Pyrady soils are fine textured, greater than 60 inches deep to bedrock, and moderately well drained. Euchrand soils occur on side slopes of mountains, are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock, and loamy-skeletal. Rilea soils are loamy-skeletal. Stackyards soils occur on north-facing side slopes of mountains, are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock, loamy-skeletal, and have umbric epipedons 10 to 20 inches thick. Yorel soils lack argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production, watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Douglas fir, tanoak, golden chinkapin, Pacific madrone, common beargrass, salal, cascade Oregongrape, Pacific rhododendron, red huckleberry, western brackenfern, baldhip rose, coast fairybells, and little princes pine.
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: Douglas County, Oregon, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - from 1 to 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 9 to 35 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - from 9 to 29 inches (Bt1 and most of Bt2 horizons).
All diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.