LOCATION BARHISKEY OR

Established Series
Rev. DRJ/TDT
11/2025

BARHISKEY SERIES

The Barhiskey series consists of deep, excessively drained soils that formed in sandy alluvium mixed with pumice and volcanic ash. Barhiskey soils are on outwash plains and have slopes of 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 47 degrees F (8 degrees C)and the mean annual precipitation is about 45 inches (1145 mm).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Vitrandic Humixerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Barhiskey gravelly loamy sand on a 2 percent slope, forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oe--0 to 1 inch (0 to 3 cm); partially decomposed needles and twigs.

A--1 to 5 inches (3 to 13 cm); black (10YR 2/1) gravelly loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; base saturation by ammonium acetate is 50 percent; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches (8 to 23 cm) thick)

AC--5 to 20 inches (13 to 51 cm); dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly sand, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; base saturation by ammonium acetate is 26 percent; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 17 inches (18 to 43 cm) thick)

C1--20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 cm); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; base saturation by ammonium acetate is 34 percent; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 38 inches (51 to 97 cm) thick)

C2--40 to 61 inches (102 to 155 cm); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) gravelly sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; base saturation by ammonium acetate is 52 percent; moderately acid (pH 5.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Oregon, about 4 miles northeast of Prospect, approximately 2,200 feet west and 1,575 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 14, T. 32 S., R. 3 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Barhiskey soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 90 consecutive days in the four months that follow the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 52 degrees F (8 to 11 degrees C). The particle-size control section has 2 to 5 percent clay and contains 20 to 35 percent rock fragments of which 0 to 5 percent are cobbles and 20 to 30 percent are gravel. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) thick and has a base saturation of 25 to 50 percent. It is moderately to slightly acid throughout the profile.

The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and 2 or 3 dry. It has 15 to 30 percent gravel.

The AC horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 dry.

The C horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Barhiskey series consists of deep, excessively drained soils on outwash plains. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in sandy alluvium mixed with pumice and volcanic ash. Elevations are 2,500 to 3,000 feet (760 to 910 m). The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 50 inches (1015 to 1270 mm). The mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F (7 to 10 degrees C). The frost-free period is 100 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alcot, Coyata, Crater Lake and Dumont soils. Alcot soils are cindery. Coyata soils are skeletal and moderately deep. Dumont soils are clayey. Crater Lake soils are ashy.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; slow runoff; very rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production. The native vegetation is Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and sugar pine with an understory of tall Oregon grape, snowberry, hazel, starflower and Pacific serviceberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Oregon. The series is inextensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County Area, Oregon; 1988.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features:

Umbric epipedon - from the mineral soil surface to a depth of 20 inches (3 to 51 cm):
1. A horizon: B.S. is 50 percent and O.C. is 2.7 percent.
2. AC horizon: B.S. is 26 percent and O.C. is 0.6 percent.

11/2025- Updated classification to thirteenth edition taxomony, added metric depths. Formerly classified as Sandy, mixed, mesic Vitrandic Dystroxerepts -JBB

ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples from type location; sample number S85OR-029-5-1 through 5-4.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.