LOCATION BEEMAN OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Xerertic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Beeman silty clay loam - rangeland, on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 1,900 feet (When described on April 21, 1998, the soil was slightly moist throughout. Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 1 inch; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; few fine and common very fine irregular pores; slightly effervescent; SAR of 19 moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 7 inches thick)
Bn1--1 to 9 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; SAR of 27; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; organic coats on ped faces; EC is 2 mmhos/cm, slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bn2--9 to 17 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few medium, fine, and very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; organic coats on ped faces; SAR of 46; strongly effervescent; EC is 6 mmhos/cm, strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bn horizons is 14 to 29 inches)
Bk1--17 to 20 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, very pale brown (10YR 8/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent soft carbonate masses; violently effervescent; EC is 6 mmhos/cm, SAR of 37; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear smooth boundary.
Bk2--20 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent soft carbonate masses and threads; slightly effervescent; EC is 7 mmhos/cm, SAR of 33; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); gradual wavy boundary.
Bk3--43 to 60 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent carbonate masses; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1)
TYPE LOCATION: Wheeler County, Oregon; located about 8 miles NW of the town of Mitchell; 1,900 feet west and 1,300 feet north of the SE corner of section 31, T. 10 S., R. 21 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: This soil is dry in the soil moisture control section for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. Vertical cracks ranging in width of 5 to 37 mm extend from the surface to a depth of about 30 to 50 inches. Depth to bedrock is 60 inches or more. The particle size control section is clay or silty clay with 40 to 50 percent clay. Depth to secondary carbonate accumulation is 15 to 30 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is silty clay loam with 27 to 40 percent clay.
The Bn horizons have hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 6 moist, 4 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is clay or silty clay with 40 to 50 percent clay. SAR is 20 to 50.
The Bk horizons have hues of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 6 moist, 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is clay or silty clay with 40 to 50 percent clay. It is moderately or strongly alkaline. Carbonates appear as soft masses or as mycelium threads. SAR is 20 to 40.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Roza series. Roza soils lack the sodium accumulation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beeman soils are on incised flood plains and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in fine textured sediment weathered from the John Day Formation. Elevation is 1,800 to 2,200 feet. The climate is semi-arid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buffaran, Haystack, Kimberly, and Monroe soils. Buffaran soils are shallow to a duripan and are on fan piedmonts. Haystack soils are loamy-skeletal and are on alluvial fans. Kimberly soils are coarse-loamy and are on flood plains. Monroe soils are fine-loamy and are on alluvial fans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability. The map unit has altered hydrology.
USE AND VEGETATION: It is used for irrigated, small grain production, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is basin wildrye, inland saltgrass, and black greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Oregon, MLRA B-10. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon
cambic horizon - from 1 to 17 inches (Bn1 and Bn2 horizons)
secondary carbonates - 17 to 60 inches (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons)
calculated L.E. is about 9 cm for the upper 40 inches (Xerertic)
SAR of over 13 throughout the profile.
Although this pedon has a clay increase sufficient for an argillic horizon, no clay films could be seen (physical evidence) to qualify the pedon for an argillic/natric horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial lab data is available for this soil. Reference sample S98OR-069-008-(1-5) from Wheeler County, Oregon.