LOCATION CANEST                  OR

Established Series
Rev. JSC/AON/TDT
11/2017

CANEST SERIES

The Canest series consists of very shallow, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from igneous rocks. Canest soils are on basalt plateaus and have slopes of 1 to 20 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 14 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 44 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, frigid Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Canest very cobbly clay loam - rangeland, on a slope of 2 percent in sagebrush steppe at elevation of 5,008 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

Bt--5 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on peds and in pores; 15 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

2R--9 to 14 inches; fractured basalt with thin seams of clay in fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Oregon; SW1/4 NE1/4 NE1/4 section 20, T. 18 S., R. 21 E.; on summit of Sheep Mountain.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soils are moist in winter and spring. They are warmer than 41 degrees F. from about early April to late October, and they are dry within this period for 80 to 120 days (xeric moisture regime). The mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock and solum thickness is 5 to 10 inches. The solum averages 35 to 45 percent clay and 35 to 50 percent stones, cobbles, and gravel. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR.

The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry. It has 0 to 15 percent stones, 20 to 35 percent cobbles, and 15 to 25 percent gravel. It has 27 to 35 percent clay.

The Bt horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. It has moderate subangular or angular blocky structure. It has 40 to 50 percent clay. It has 0 to 15 percent stones, 15 to 30 percent cobbles, and 10 to 20 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ateron, Camool, Chen, Harlow, Itca, Jackrock, Vennob, and Wallsburg series. All of these soils are deeper than 10 inches to bedrock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Canest soils are on plateaus and pediments at elevations of 4,000 to 5,200 feet. Slopes range from 1 to 20 percent. The soils formed in materials weathered from basalt and welded tuff. The climate is characterized by cold moist winters and hot dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The mean annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F., mean January temperature is 27 to 29 degrees F., and mean July temperature is 59 to 61 degrees F. The frost-free period is 30 to 90 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gardone, Lorella, Madeline, and Westbutte soils. Gardone soils are on the sides of dissecting drainageways, are deep, and have loamy sand textures. Lorella soils are mesic, on south facing ravine slopes, and are 12 to 20 inches deep over bedrock. Westbutte soils are loamy-skeletal, lack an argillic horizon, and are moderately deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Canest soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation mainly is stiff sagebrush, low sagebrush, Sanberg bluegrass, phlox, and bighead clover.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon; MLRA 10. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon, 2012.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:
Mollic epipedon from 0 to 9 inches
Argillic horizon from 5 to 9 inches
Xeric soil moisture regime
Particle-size control section from 0 to 9 inches, averages 37 percent clay and 43 percent rock fragments.

10/31/2017 - Updated OSD after it was decided that Canest has a xeric soil moisture regime.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.