LOCATION BYCRACKY OR
Established Series
Rev. RJO/RAW/JLW
10/2012
BYCRACKY SERIES
The Bycracky series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils on basin floors and benches of glaciated mountain slopes. Bycracky soils formed in peat mixed with or overlying volcanic ash overlying lacustrine sediments or glaciofluvial material derived from mixed materials dominated by granitic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 48 inches and mean annual temperature is about 36 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, isotic, euic Terric Cryofibrists
TYPICAL PEDON: Bycracky peat, marshland, on a 5 percent south - facing slope at an elevation of 7280 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi1--0 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) peat, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry; 85 percent fibers, rubbed; many very fine and fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear smooth boundary.
Oi2--12 to 20 inches; black (10YR 2/1) peat, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) dry; 85 percent fibers, rubbed; common fine and very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of Oi horizons is 14 to 48 inches)
2Bw--20 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy silt loam (volcanic ash), light gray (10YR7/2) dry; massive, soft, friable, nonsticky, and nonplastic; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
3Oe--28 to 41 inches; black (10YR 2/1) mucky peat, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) dry; 45 percent fibers, rubbed; few very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 19 inches thick)
4C--41 to 61inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Union County, Oregon,
SW1/4, NE1/4, NE1/4, Section 1, T. 5 S., R. 42 E.
Latitude: 45 degrees, 09 minutes, 50 seconds N;
Longitude: 117 degrees, 30 minutes, 03 seconds W
UTM coordinates: zone 11; 5,001,061 northing, 460,638 easting
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: cryic regime
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 33 to 38 degrees F
Mean Summer Soil Temperature: 39 to 46 degrees F
Mean Winter Soil Temperature: 28 to 34 degrees F
Soil Moisture: aquic regime
Particle-size Control Section: upper 12 inches of mineral soil
Clay content, average: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragment content, average: 0 to 5 percent
Diagnostic Horizons and Features:
depth to mineral soil layer having thickness of 12 inches or more: 14 to 48 inches
water table at or near the surface from October through July
aquandic subgroup feature: distinct layer of volcanic ash or ash mixed in organic soil horizons
Oi horizons
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/2; 10YR 2/1, 2/2
color, dry: 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2; 10YR 4/1, 4/2
fiber content, rubbed: 75 to 90 percent
rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent
gravel: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid, pH: 4.5 to 6.5
2Bw horizon (not present in all pedons)
color, moist: 10YR 4/2, 4/3
color, dry: 10YR 6/2, 7/2
texture: ASHY-SIL, ASHY-VFSL
clay content: 3 to 8 percent
reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid; pH: 5.8 to 6.3
Al + 1/2Fe (AOX): 0.4 to 1.0 percent
glass content in the 0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 40 to 80 percent
3Oe horizon: (Oi horizon in some pedons)
color, moist: 10YR 2/1, 2/2
color, dry: 7.5YR 3/1, 3/2
fiber content, rubbed: 35 to 85 percent
reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid; pH: 5.6 to 6.5
4C horizon:
color, moist: 10YR 3/3, 5/2
color, dry: 10YR 5/4, 6/2
reaction: pH: 5.1 to 8.4
texture: SIL, L, SI
clay: 5 to 15 percent
rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
gravel: 0 to 10 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: basin floors and benches on glaciated mountain slopes
Slope gradient: 0 to 5 percent
Parent material: peat mixed with volcanic ash overlying lacustrine or glaciofluvial material
Lithology: granitic dominated mixed rocks
Elevation: 5,400 to 7,400 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters and cool, moist summers
Mean annual precipitation: 40 to 55 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 33 to 38 degrees F
Frost-free period: 15 to 35 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Rockcreekbutte: well drained mineral soil on adjacent uplands, under subalpine fir forest
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: very poorly drained
Permeability: rapid in fibric organic soil materials and moderate in mineral layers
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: watershed, wildlife habitat, livestock grazing and recreation.
Native vegetation: Sitka alder, lead plant, green false hellebore, bog orchid, Douglas's onion, pink elephanthead, arrowleaf groundsel, western coneflower, cow parsnip, Columbia monkshood, horsetail, reedgrass and sedges.
Plant association: unclassified wet meadow; similar plant associations: CASC12 (Holms Sedge), CALU7 (Wood-rush Sedge)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Central Rocky and Blue Mountain foothills; MLRA 10
Extent: small
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, Oregon 2012.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon (93-362) are:
fibric organic soil material: 0 to 20 inches; Oi1, Oi2
Terric subgroup: based on the 4C horizon having its upper boundary within the control section below the surface tier and being 12 inches or more in thickness. The 2Bw horizon lacks the thickness. Consequently the depth to the 4C horizon cannot occur below 52 inches.
particle-size control section: 20 to 28 and 41 to 45 inches; 2Bw, 4C
aquandic feature: 20 to 28 inches; 2Bw
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.