LOCATION BURKEMONT OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, calcareous, mesic Typic Halaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Burkemont silty clay loam, 0 to 2 percent
slopes, native meadow. (Colors are for moist soil unless
otherwise noted.)
Akn1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty
clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; strong fine
and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly
sticky and slightly plastic; many coarse and medium and
common fine and very fine roots; many very fine and fine
tubular pores; violently effervescent with disseminated
lime; SAR of 70; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.8); clear
smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Akn2--4 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2)
silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; strong
medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm,
slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse and common
fine and medium roots, many very fine and fine tubular
pores; violently effervescent with disseminated lime; SAR of
65; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); clear smooth boundary.
(4 to 12 inches thick)
Akn3--11 to 16 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2)
silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; common
fine faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; moderate
medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly
sticky and slightly plastic; moderate fine and medium roots;
many very fine and fine tubular pores; violently
effervescent with disseminated lime; SAR of 59; very
strongly alkaline (pH 9.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 9
inches thick)
Bkn--16 to 25 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty
clay loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; common fine faint
light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles; massive; hard, firm,
slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots;
many fine tubular pores; violently effervescent with
disseminated lime; SAR of 27; very strongly alkaline (pH
9.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
2Bk1--25 to 46 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay,
light grayish brown (2.5Y 6/2) dry; many fine distinct light
olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) mottles; massive; very hard, very
firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular
pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; SAR of
7; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary.
(10 to 30 inches thick)
2Bk2--46 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4)
silty clay loam, white (2.5Y 8/2) dry; common fine faint
olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) mottles; massive; hard, firm,
slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few to common tubular
pores; strongly effervescent, lime segregated in many medium irregularly shaped filaments or threads; SAR 23; strongly
alkaline (pH 8.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; located 4 miles east
of Haines, adjacent to the Baldock Slough in the
NE1/4SE1/4NW1/4 sec. 6, T. 8 S., R. 40 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature
is 47 to 52 degrees F. These soils are saturated throughout
at some time of the year in most years. Depth to the
fluctuating water table is 12 to 24 inches from early spring
through early summer. Depth to the 2Bk horizon ranges from
20 to 40 inches. The sodium adsorption ratio is 20 to 70
percent in half or more of the upper 20 inches of the
profile. The particle-size control section ranges from
silty clay loam to clay, and averages 35 to 60 percent clay.
Coarse fragments are 0 to 10 percent throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 or 5
moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. The
Akn3 horizon has common to many faint or distinct mottles.
The Bkn and 2Bk horizons have hue of 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6
moist, 6 through 8 dry and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and
dry. It is silty clay loam, clay loam, silty clay or clay.
These horizons have common to many faint or distinct
mottles. The soil reaction is moderate to strongly alkaline
with lime disseminated throughout the profile or segregated
in irregularly shaped filaments and threads.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The
Lolak
series is similar. Lolak soils are frigid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Burkemont soils occur on flood plains.
Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 3,300 to
3,400 feet. The soils formed in mixed alluvium. The mean
annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The mean annual
temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free period is
110 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Baldock,
Haines, and
Umapine soils. Baldock soils are on adjacent
flood plains in depressional areas, have a fine-loamy
particle-size control section and have pH less than 8.5 in
the surface horizons. Haines and Umapine soils have
coarse-silty particle-size control sections. Umapine soils
are somewhat poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is slow. A high water table fluctuates between
12 and 24 inches from February through May. Flooding is
rare.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Burkemont soils are used
for pasture. The native vegetation is mainly saltgrass,
Lemmon alkaligrass, alkali cordgrass, basin wildrye and
Baltic rush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower elevation valleys and basins
of central and eastern Oregon. The series is of small
extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon; 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon
are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a
depth of approximately 16 inches (Akn1, Akn2, Akn3
horizons).
Inceptisol (Halaquept) - SAR of greater than 13 from 0 to 25
inches and decreases to 7 from 25 to 46 inches.
Aquept- soil has an aquic soil moisture regime.
Typic Halaquept - chroma of 2 throughout 6 to 30 inches.
Fine family - based on 2.5 x 15 bar water.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon number 87P 148; sample number 87P
843-848.