LOCATION CRACKLER OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy-skeletal, glassy over isotic, frigid Typic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Crackler gravelly ashy silt loam - on a 42 percent convex northeast-facing slope, woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed fir needles, grass and twigs.
A1--1 to 4 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure parting to fine and medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and moderately smeary; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and moderately smeary; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
AB--10 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly ashy silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Bw1--18 to 35 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2Bw2--35 to 46 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 60 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
2Bw3--46 to 55 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 65 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
3R--55 inches; argillite.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; 2,600 feet east and 1,700 feet south of the NW corner of sec. 35, T. 8 S., R. 38 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is typically between 40 and 60 inches but may be greater than 60 inches in some pedons. Thickness of the volcanic ash mantle and depth to the contrasting material is 14 to 25 inches. The A and AB horizons are moderately to weakly smeary. The ash mantle contains about 60 to 80 percent glass. The surface has 10 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It has 15 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
The upper part of the Bw horizon has value of 3 to 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and 3 or 4 dry. It is silty clay loam, loam or clay loam, with 18 to 35 percent clay, 20 to 40 percent gravel and 20 to 35 percent cobbles. The lower part has value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silty clay loam, loam and clay loam, with 18 to 35 percent clay, 40 to 70 percent gravel and 2 to 20 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brannan, Capoose, Elbowlake, Farway, Kellerbutte, Natapoc, Nevine, Olot, Rouen, Saska, and Vingulch series. Brannan soils are sandy clay loam and sandy loam in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Capoose, Olot, Rouen, and Vingulch soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Elbowlake, Natapoc, and Nevine soils have 2Cd horizons. Farway soils are dry in the particle-size control section for 60 to 75 days following the summer solstice and are very deep. Kellerbutte and Saska soils are very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crackler soils are on north-facing side slopes of forested mountains. Elevations range from 3,800 to 6,200 feet. Slope is 2 to 50 percent. The soil formed in colluvium derived from argillite, with a mantle of volcanic ash in the surface. The climate is characterized by cold and wet winters and hot and dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 30 to 50 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Highhorn, Huntrock, Stices, Tolo and competing Rouen soils. Highhorn soils are loamy-skeletal and are on adjacent south slopes. Huntrock soils are moderately deep, loamy-skeletal and are on adjacent south slopes. Stices soils are ashy-skeletal. Tolo soils are ashy over loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow to rapid. Permeability is moderate in the surface horizons and moderately slow in the subsoil.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir and western larch with an understory of pinegrass, elk sedge, huckleberry and snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon, 1988.
REMARKS: This draft reflects reclassification from glassy over mixed to glassy over isotic mineralogy.
Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 1 to 18 inches (A1, A2, AB horizons).
Vitrixerand feature - a bulk density of 0.65 to 0.85 g/cubic centimeter in the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 18 inches (A1, A2, AB horizons) with more than 60 percent volcanic glass and glass aggragate, more than 0.40 percent acid oxylate Al + 1/2Fe, and less than 12 percent 15-bar moisture content (dry).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 10 to 55 inches (AB, 2Bw1, 2Bw2, 2Bw3 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference Samples NSSL 86T7086, 86T7087 and 86T7088.