LOCATION CAPHEALY OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Caphealy ashy sandy loam - rangeland, on a 15 percent west-facing slopes at 2700 feet elevation. (When described (9/25/89), the soil was dry throughout. The colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravels; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--2 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
Bw--16 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick.)
2Bk--19 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; calcium carbonate coatings on undersides of coarse fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual broken boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick.)
3Crkq--23 to 26 inches; fractured tuff with discontinuous veins of silica and calcium carbonate. (1 to 4 inches thick.)
3R--26 inches; welded tuff of the Deschutes Formation (see Remarks)
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Oregon; east of gravel road to gravel pit, 600 feet east and 600 feet south of the northwest corner of section 36, T. 12 S., R. 12 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 34 minutes, 19 seconds N, Longitude 121 degrees, 7 minutes, 21 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the paralithic contact is 20 to 38 inches and is underlain by hard bedrock. The soil contains about 10 to 25 percent pumice sand throughout the profile. The soil is usually dry and is dry in all parts for 120 to 150 days (cumulative) after the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 54 degrees F. The profile contains 10 to 30 percent volcanic glass and glass-coated aggregates. Phosphate retention is 10 to 20 percent. The acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half the acid oxalate iron is 0.10 to 0.40 percent. The particle-size control section averages 5 to 10 percent clay and 55 to 70 percent sand. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 12 inches thick. Base saturation is 90 to 100 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. It contains 0 to 10 percent gravel. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and 4 moist. It is sandy loam or coarse sandy loam. It contains 0 to 15 percent gravel. It is slightly or moderately alkaline.
The 2Bk horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and 4 moist. It contains 15 to 35 percent gravel. It is slightly or moderately alkaline and has secondary carbonate accumulation in the form of coatings on rock fragments and free lime in the soil matrix.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deschutes, Era, Houstake and Lafollette series. Deschutes soils are 20 to 40 inches to basalt. Era, Houstake and Lafollette soils are over 40 inches deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Caphealy soils are on rolling uplands and hills. These soils formed in colluvium over semi-consolidated sediments of the Deschutes Formation. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. Elevations range from 2000 to 3200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 11 inches. The mean annual temperature 47 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Reuter, Era, Madras, and Cullius. Reuter soils are on rolling uplands and hills and are shallow to semi-consolidated sediments. Era soils are in swales and are deep or very deep to bedrock. Madras soils are on adjacent terraces and plateaus and have a fine-loamy argillic horizon. Cullius soils are on adjacent terraces and plateaus and are shallow to a lithic contact and have a clayey argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and cropland. Potential native vegetation is western juniper, basin and Wyoming big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Uplands of Central Oregon MLRA 10. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deschutes County (Upper Deschutes River Area), Oregon, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon:
mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to about 10 inches. (A1 and part of the A2 horizons)
Deschutes Formation - semi-consolidated water-laid sediments composed of sands, gravels, and silts of volcanic origin, and reworked volcanic materials. Interbedded basalts and ash-flow tuffs are included in this formation.