LOCATION CATERL OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, frigid Alic Hapludands
TYPICAL PEDON: Caterl gravelly medial silt loam, wooded. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; leaves, twigs, decaying wood and moss.
A--1 to 5 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) gravelly medial silt loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many fine and very fine roots, many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent 2 to 5 millimeter soft concretions; 18 percent basalt gravel; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 17 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 17 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) gravelly medial silt loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common medium and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent 2 to 5 millimeter soft concretions; 25 percent basalt gravel; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 19 inches thick)
C--17 to 42 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly medial silt loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; 45 percent basalt gravel, 20 percent basalt cobbles; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (18 to 32 inches thick)
R--42 inches; fractured, slightly weathered basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Columbia County, Oregon; about 13 miles north of Baker Point mainline road junction with Baker Point 240 road and 100 feet east of Baker Point 240 road; northwest 1/4 northwest 1/4 southeast 1/4, section 20, T. 5 N., R. 3 W.; Baker Point, Oregon 7.5 minute USGS quadrangle; NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is usually moist but is dry for a short period of less than 45 consecutive days between depths of 4 to 12 inches in the four month period following the summer solstice in most years. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is above 47 degrees F. with an O horizon present. The solum has hue of 10YR to 5YR. The particle-size control section has a moist bulk density of 0.75 to 0.90 g/cubic centimeter, greater than 85 percent phosphate retention, 2.0 to 4.0 percent acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron, 2.0 to 15 cmol/kg of KCl-extractable aluminum, and 15 to 30 percent 15-bar moisture (air dried), with 15 to 30 percent clay content by field estimates, and 35 to 80 percent rock fragments. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. Depth to fractured bedrock is 40 to 60 inches or more. It is weakly or moderately smeary.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry. Texture is gravelly medial silt loam, gravelly medial loam, very gravelly medial loam or very cobbly medial loam with 12 to 25 percent clay. It has 15 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles and 0 to 25 percent stones. It is extremely acid to slightly acid. Organic matter is 5 to 10 percent. In some pedons, A2 and A3 horizons are present. Texture is gravelly medial silt loam, gravelly medial loam, very gravelly medial loam or very cobbly medial loam with 15 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and 4 to 6 dry. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is medial silt loam, medial loam, or medial clay loam with 15 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 50 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. It is 12 to 30 percent clay. In some areas the apparent clay content is 35 to 40 percent below 40 inches. It is extremely acid to moderately acid.
The C horizon or BC horizon, when present, has value of 3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry and chroma of 4 to 6 moist and dry. It is 12 to 30 percent clay. It is extremely gravelly medial silt loam, extremely gravelly medial loam, extremely cobbly medial loam or extremely cobbly medial clay loam. This horizon has 60 to 80 percent rock fragments of which 30 to 70 percent are gravel, 0 to 30 percent are cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent are stones. In some areas, this horizon is glacial till derived from volcanic rocks.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dobbs, Laderly, McGravey, and Sawpeak series.
Dobbs(WA) - 20 to 40 inches deep to densic materials; moderately well drained (soil considered to be Oxyaquic); particle-size control section contains 10 to 30 percent volcanic glass
Laderly (OR) - 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact
McGravey (WA) - has ochric epipedon; particle-size control section contains 60 to 90 percent total rock fragments
Sawpeak (WA) - has ochric epipedon; 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact; particle-size control section contains 60 to 90 percent total rock fragments
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Caterl soils occur on summits, back slopes, foot slopes and toe slopes of mountains. Elevations are 1,500 to 3,000 feet. Slopes are 3 to 90 percent. The soils typically formed in colluvium weathered from basalt or other igneous and volcanic rock types but in some areas formed in glacial till from volcanic rock. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and warm moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 60 to 130 inches. The average July temperature is 58 to 60 degrees F. and the average January temperature is 32 to 35 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 41 to 46 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Giveout, Murnen, Murtip, Romanose, Sach, Tolany, and the competing Laderly soils. These soils are on ridge tops and side slopes of mountains. Giveout, Murnen, Murtip, and Tolany soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Giveout soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Murtip soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Romanose soils are 10 to 20 inches to a lithic contact. Sach soils have a strongly contrasting particle-size class (medial over loamy-skeletal) and are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, recreation, wildlife habitat and watersheds. Native vegetation is Douglas fir, western hemlock, red alder, red and evergreen huckleberry, vine maple, western swordfern, cascade Oregongrape, Oregon oxalis, and salal. Scattered amounts of noble fir, Pacific silver fir, and tall blue huckleberry occur in some areas at the higher elevations within the frigid zone.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The central and northern portions of the Coast Range in Oregon; MLRA 1. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Columbia County, Oregon, 1983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features in this pedon include:
Umbric epipedon - from 1 to 17 inches (A and Bw horizon).
Andic soil properties - from 1 to 42 inches (A, Bw, and C horizons).
Medial-skeletal feature - from 1 to 42 inches dominated by andic soil properties and containing 48 percent (wt. average) rock fragments by volume.
Particle-size control section - from 1 to 41 inches (A, Bw, and 20 inches of C horizon).
Classification revised 8/2001 from medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, frigid Alic Fulvudands to medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, frigid Alic Hapludands.
Depth to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.