LOCATION CHAMBEAM OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Chambeam very channery loam - on a 45
percent concave north-facing slope, rangeland. (Colors are
for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very
channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak very
fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable,
nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots;
many very fine and fine discontinuous tubular pores; 50
percent schist channers; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear
smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
A2--6 to 17 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2)
very channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry;
moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure;
soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine
and fine roots; many very fine and fine discontinuous
tubular pores; 50 percent schist channers; slightly acid (pH
6.4); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 12 inches thick)
Bw1--17 to 27 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very
channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine
subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and
nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine
and fine discontinuous tubular pores; 50 percent schist
channers and 5 percent schist flagstones; neutral (pH 6.6);
gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 13 inches thick)
Bw2--27 to 34 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely
channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and
medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky
and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine discontinuous tubular pores; 60 percent schist channers and
5 percent schist flagstones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth
boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
C--34 to 45 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) extremely
channery loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and
nonplastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine
discontinuous tubular pores; 60 percent schist channers and
15 percent schist flagstones; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
R--45 inches; highly fractured schist.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; located 1,300 feet
north of the end of road on Windy Ridge, in the
SE1/4NW1/4NE1/4SE1/4 sec. 35, T. 11 S., R. 41 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist,
but are dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches for 50 to
80 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mean
annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Depth to
bedrock is 40 to 60 inches. The particle-size control
section averages 40 to 60 percent rock fragments and 20 to
30 percent clay. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches
thick.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and
chroma of 1 through 3 moist and dry. It has 40 to 50
percent channers and 0 to 10 percent flagstones.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and
chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It is loam or clay
loam, averaging 20 to 30 percent clay. It has 40 to 70
percent channers and 0 to 10 percent flagstones.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5
moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and
dry. It is loam or clay loam, averaging 20 to 30 percent.
It has 40 to 70 percent channers and 0 to 10 percent
flagstones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Baldridge,
Burgi,
Ginser,
Glean,
Sinker, and
Webfoot series. The Ginser soils are 20
to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. The Burgi soils
lack a B horizon. The Baldridge, Glean and
Lambring soils
have basalt and/or andesite gravel and cobble size
fragments. The Sinker soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to
bedrock. The Webfoot soils are somewhat poorly drained with
gleyed conditions at 25 to 35 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Chambeam soils are in concave
positions primarily on north-facing side slopes on hills.
Slopes are 12 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 3,500 to
5,300 feet. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum
derived dominantly from schist and graywacke. The mean
annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The mean annual
temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is
60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Darkcanyon,
Harlow,
Lostbasin,
Snaker,
Snell, and the competing Sinker
soils. The Darkcanyon and Snaker soils have mesic soil
temperatures and ochric epipedons. Harlow and Snell soils
are on adjacent basalt uplands and are clayey-skeletal.
Lostbasin soils have an ochric epipedon and are moderately
deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium
to rapid. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland.
The native vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass,
prairie junegrass, mountain big sagebrush, and green
rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Oregon. The series is of
moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon, 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon
are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a
depth of 34 inches (A1, A2, Bw1, Bw2 horizons).
Pachic- mollic epipedon to a depth of 34 inches.
Cambic horizon - the zone from 17 to 34 inches (Bw1, Bw2
horizons).
Coarse fragments are primarily channers.