LOCATION BELRICK OR

Established Series
Rev: WMF/TDT
05/2011

BELRICK SERIES

The Belrick series consists of very deep, well drained soils on moraines. They formed in ash and pumice over glacial till. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 60 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, amorphic Humic Vitricryands

TYPICAL PEDON: Belrick ashy fine sandy loam - woodland, on a 25 percent convex east-facing slope at 4000 feet elevation. (When described, (6/25/84), the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed litter of Douglas fir, white fir, ponderosa pine needles and twigs and vine maple leaves.

A1--1 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent subrounded gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.

A2--4 to 12 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) ashy fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse and common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary.

A3--12 to 17 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) ashy fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 13 to 25 inches)

2C--17 to 25 inches; mixed black and very dark brown (10YR 2/1, 2/2) ashy loamy fine sand and fine sand, very dark grayish brown and dark brown (10YR 3/2, 3/3) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; few weakly cemented nodules; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 22 inches thick)

3Bwb--25 to 66 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) extremely stony ashy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine interstitial and few fine and medium tubular pores; 15 percent subrounded gravel, 20 percent subrounded cobbles, and 30 percent subrounded stones; neutral (pH 7.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Oregon; on USFS Rd. 1210-300, 100 feet east, and 500 feet north of the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of section 14, T. 13 S., R. 8 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 26 minutes, 30 seconds N, 121 degrees, 45 minutes, 00 seconds W)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the buried glacial till material (3Bwb horizon) is 20 to 40 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The 20 to 40 inch thick ash mantle contains 75 to 85 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate, phosphate retention is 70 to 90 percent, acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron is 2 to 4 percent and 15-bar water content on dried and undried samples is 5 to 12 percent. The glacial till material contains 50 to 75 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate, phosphate retention is 80 to 100 percent, acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron is 3 to 5 percent and 15-bar water content on undried samples is 10 to 18 percent and on dried samples is 7 to 15 percent. The soil moisture control section is usually moist and is dry in all parts for 30 to 45 consecutive days after the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 36 to 45 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 40 to 47 degrees F. The thickness of the umbric epipedon is 15 to 25 inches. The particle-size control section averages 5 to 35 percent rock fragments.

The Oi horizon is 1 to 3 inches thick except where disturbed.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR and value of 2 or 3 moist and 3 to 5 dry with chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry. It is 5 to 15 percent clay (estimated). It contains 0 to 5 percent subrounded gravel. It is moderately acid to neutral. Base saturation by ammonium acetate is 40 to 50 percent.

The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR and value of 2 to 4 moist and 3 to 5 dry with chroma of 1 or 2 moist and 2 to 6 dry. It is mixed or stratified ashy loamy fine sand and ashy fine sand or ashy fine sandy loam. It has 5 to 15 percent clay (estimated). It contains 0 to 5 percent subrounded gravel. It is moderately acid to neutral.

Some pedons will contain 2C horizons with a layer of black scoria.

The 3Bwb horizon has hue of 10YR and value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 to 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is very stony or extremely stony ashy loam or ashy sandy loam with 10 to 20 percent subrounded gravel, 10 to 30 percent subrounded cobbles and 15 to 30 percent subrounded stones. Total rock fragments range from 35 to 70 percent. It is 10 to 25 percent clay (estimated). It is slightly acid or neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Linksterly Series. Linksterly soils have skeletal glacial till material at 40 to over 60 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Belrick soils are on glacial moraines at elevations of 3,200 to 5,400 feet. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. The soils formed in ash and pumice deposits overlying glacial till. The climate is characterized by cold wet winters and cool moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 70 inches, falling mostly as snow. The mean annual temperature is 35 to 44 degrees F. The frost-free period is 10 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bott, Douthit Haynap, Minkwell and the competing Linksterly soils. Bott soils are on mountains are ashy over loamy-skeletal and have an ochric epipedon. Douthit soils are on glacial moraines are ashy-skeletal and have an ochric epipedon. Haynap soils are on glacial moraines and are ashy-skeletal. Minkwell soils are on glacial moraines and are ashy over medial and have an ochric epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation and watershed. Potential native vegetation is ponderosa pine, white fir, snowbrush, snowberry, chinkapin, and Idaho fescue.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slope of the Cascades in Central Oregon; MLRA 3. The series is inextensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

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

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in the pedon are:

umbric epipedon - from the mineral soil surface to approximately 16 inches (A1, A2, A3).

Andic soil properties - the ash mantle (1 to 25 inches) contains to 83 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate in the very fine sand fraction, phosphate retention is 77 to 89 percent, acid oxalate aluminum is 1.3 to 2.0 percent, acid oxalate iron is 1.3 to 1.7 percent.

Vitri - 15-bar water content on dried samples is 4.9 to 9.4 percent and on moist samples is 5.7 to 11 percent.

The A1, A2, A3 and 2C horizons are weathered in "Blue Lake" and "Sand Mountain" tephra (about 3,440 years old). The 3Bwb horizon is weathered in "Jack Creek" glacial till (70-80,000 years old) or "Suttle Lake" glacial till (16-20,000 years old).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory is available for this soil. Reference sample S84OR-620-003 from Jefferson County, Oregon, NSSL, Lincoln, NE, 2/85.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.