LOCATION CASSIDAY                OR

Established Series
Rev. MHF/RTS/RWL
06/2011

CASSIDAY SERIES

The Cassiday series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types. Cassiday soils are on side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 30 to 90 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 110 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, mesic Humic Dystrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Cassiday very gravelly loam, woodland, on a 40 percent southeast-facing slope at an elevation of 1,920 feet. (When described on May 5, 1985, the soil profile was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and woody materials.

A1--1 to 4 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very gravelly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary.

A2--4 to 9 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 7 to 9 inches)

Bw1--9 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very gravelly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine continuous tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--18 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 13 to 22 inches)

BC--27 to 38 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine continuous tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)

R--38 inches; metasedimentary bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; located about 660 feet north and 2,640 feet east of the southwest corner of section 13, T. 39 S., R. 13 W. W.M.(Latitude 42 degrees, 11 minutes, 36 seconds N.; Longitude 124 degrees, 11 minutes, 26 seconds W.)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. The soils are usually moist and are dry less than 45 consecutive days between 4 and 12 inches in the four months following the summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 60 percent rock fragments. Depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The solum is 20 to 40 inches thick. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR.

The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is very gravelly loam, gravelly loam, or very stony loam with 15 to 25 percent clay. It has 15 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 20 percent stones.

The Bw horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is very gravelly loam, very gravelly clay loam, or extremely gravelly clay loam with 18 to 35 percent clay. It has 30 to 55 percent gravel and 5 to 15 percent cobbles.

The BC horizon has value and chroma similar to the Bw horizon. It is extremely gravelly clay loam or extremely gravelly loam with 18 to 35 percent clay. It has 40 to 60 percent gravel and 5 to 20 percent cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cloverlick, Deadline, and Trask series. Cloverlick and Deadline soils are 40 to more than 60 inches deep to bedrock. Trask soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cassiday soils are on metastable to active side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 30 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types of the Dothan Formation. Elevations are 200 to 3,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm wet winters and hot moist summers. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 53 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 90 to 130 inches. The frost-free period is 120 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Averlande, Bravo, Colepoint, Crutchfield, Fritsland, Grouslous, Hazelcamp, and Skookumhouse soils. Averlande, Bravo, Colepoint, Crutchfield, Fritsland, Hazelcamp, and Skookumhouse soils occur on broad ridgetops, benches, or side slopes of mountains. Averlande, Hazelcamp, and Skookumhouse soils have argillic horizons. In addition, Averlande soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock. Bravo soils are fine-loamy. Colepoint soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock, fine-loamy, and have an umbric epipedon 14 to 20 inches thick. Crutchfield soils are fine-loamy and have an umbric epipedon 10 to 20 inches thick. Fritsland soils are fine-loamy and 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock. Grouslous soils occur on steep active side slopes of mountains and are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are mainly used for timber production, watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Douglas fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, red alder, tanoak, grand fir, Pacific madrone, canyon live oak, cascade Oregongrape, salal, evergreen huckleberry, western swordfern, common beargrass, and evergreen violet.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of southwestern Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Curry County, Oregon; 1995.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon
Humic subgroup - color requirement is met from 1 to 9 inches
Cambic horizon - from a depth of 9 to 27 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).

Particle-size control section - from 10 to 37 inches (part of Bw1, the Bw2, and BC horizons) with a weighted average of 54 percent rock fragments.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.