LOCATION BEDEN OR

Established Series
Rev. JSC-TDT-JVC
07/2011

BEDEN SERIES

The Beden series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in eolian material derived from volcanic ash over residuum derived from basalt. Beden soils are on lava plains, hills, and buttes. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 44 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aridic Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Beden stony ashy sandy loam--on a slope of 4 percent under mainly western juniper--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many fine vesicular pores; 5 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

A2--5 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stony ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, common fine, and common medium roots; few very fine and few fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

2Bt1--11 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and common medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 10 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary.

2Bt2--15 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and few medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 10 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizons is 4 to 10 inches)

2R--18 inches; fractured basalt with a thin discontinuous opal coating on the surface.

TYPE LOCATION: Deschutes County, Oregon; about 300 feet west and 300 feet south of the northeast corner of section 7, T. 22 S., R. 19 E; 43 degrees, 41 minutes, 17 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees, 28 minutes, 40 seconds east longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - The soils are moist in winter and spring. They are warmer than 41 degrees F from April 1 to November 1, and they are dry within this period after July 1; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.

Mean annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.

Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 12 inches.

Depth to base of argillic horizon - 10 to 20 inches.

Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches to a lithic contact.

A horizons - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent pebbles, 0 to 15 percent cobbles and stones.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Vitrandic soil properties: Volcanic glass content: 5 to 29 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions; Acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate extractable iron: 0.4 to 0.6 percent.

2Bt horizons - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, clay loam, or loam.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent pebbles, 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons have thin subhorizons with as much as 40 percent clay.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bearskin, Curtis Creek, Parsnip, Segura, and Teguro series.

Bearskin, Curtis Creek, Parsnip, and Teguro soils have a xeric moisture regime. In addition, Bearskin soils have developed in residuum from granite and do not have a volcanic ash influence in the surface horizons; Curtis Creek soils have hue of 5YR or 2.5YR in the subsoil; and Teguro soils do not have a volcanic ash influence in the surface horizons. Segura soils do not have a volcanic ash influence in the surface horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beden soils are on lava plains and on north-facing backslope positions of hills and buttes. These soils formed in eolian materials derived from volcanic ash over residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks such as basalt and tuff. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 4,100 to 4,800 feet. The climate is semiarid and characterized by cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F., mean January temperature is 27 to 29 degrees F., and the mean July temperature is 59 to 61 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Ninemile soil. Ninemile soils are clayey.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Beden soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly western juniper, Wyoming big sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, Idaho fescue, Sandberg's bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Thurber's needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deschutes County (Upper Deschutes River Area), Oregon, 1992.

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

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).

Argillic horizon - The zone from 11 to 18 inches (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).

Vitrandic intergrade properties - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).

Lithic contact - The boundary at 18 inches to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (2R layer).

Particle-size control section - The zone from 11 to 18 inches (2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.