LOCATION BLANCOCANYON ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Sodic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Blancocanyon ashy loam, on a 1 percent slope, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) ashy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine and few coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bkn1--4 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) ashy sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6) clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
2Bkn2--9 to 15 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and few coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
2Bkn3--15 to 36 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and few coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)
2Bkn4--36 to 42 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) sandy clay loam, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2Bkn5--42 to 48 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Bkn6--48 to 60 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) silt, pale yellow (5Y 7/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Oregon; about 2.5 miles northwest of the Weaver Ranch on upper Camp Creek, Oregon; 500 feet south and 2,850 feet east of the NW corner of section 1. T.19S. R.20E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually dry and the moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The weighted average clay content of the particle-size control section is 18 to 27 percent. The zone having vitrandic properties of 5 to 20 percent glass and acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the iron of 0.2 to 0.4 is 7 to 12 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y and value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry.
The Bkn horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y and value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. It is ashy sandy loam and ashy loam. It is strongly to very strongly alkaline. SAR is 25 to 75.
The 2Bkn horizon has a hue of 2.5Y or 5Y and value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loam, silt loam,silt, silty clay loam, or sandy clay loam with 18 to 30 percent clay. It is moderately to very strongly alkaline. SAR is 15 to 75.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blancocanyon soils are on stream terraces at elevations of 3,900 to 4,300 feet. These soils formed in mixed alluvium from John Day Formation tuffaceous sediments with an influence of volcanic ash. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, the mean annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F.,and the frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brisbois, Embal, Willowdale and Bonnieview soils. Brisbois soils are shallow to a paralithci contact and are on adjacent hills. Embal soils are coarse-loamy, frigid and are on stream terraces. Bonnieview soils are fine and are in adjacent depressional areas. Willowdale soils are non-alkaline and are on stream terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; permeability is moderately slow. Ponding is frequent for brief periods from February to April.
USE AND VEGETATION: Blancocanyon soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is basin big sagebrush, basin wildrye and black greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon; MLRA 10, John Day area. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Crook County Area, Oregon; 2004
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - 4 to 60 inches. (Bkn1,2Bkn2,2Bkn3,2Bkn4,2Bkn5, 2Bkn6 horizons)
Sodic Feature - 4 to 60 inches. (Bkn1,2Bkn2,2Bkn3,2Bkn4,2Bkn5,
2Bkn6 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference soil survey samples from the National Soil Survey Laboratory S03OR-013-001-1 and S03OR-013-001-2.