LOCATION DAY OR+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, mesic Chromic Haploxererts
TYPICAL PEDON: Day clay, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/3) clay, dusky red (2.5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; individual granules are very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
ABss--3 to 19 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate very coarse prismatic structure that parts to strong medium blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few roots concentrated between vertical faces of peds and few very fine roots in peds; few very fine pores; common intersecting slickensides; neutral (pH 6.9); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
ABkss--19 to 31 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/3) clay, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium angular wedge-shaped and blocky peds and irregular vertical fractures; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few roots; few very fine pores; many intersecting slickensides; few splotches of segregated lime; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 23 inches thick)
Bk--31 to 55 inches; weak red (10R 4/3) clay, weak red (10R 4/4) moist; weak very thick laminae and moderate coarse angular wedge-shaped and blocky peds; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine pores; few seams of soft segregated lime; neutral (pH 7.3) clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
C--55 to 95 inches; weak red (10R 4/3) clay, dusky red (10R 3/3) moist; laminated rock-like structure; very hard becoming extremely hard in lower part; very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine pores; common black stains; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Oregon; 350 feet north of house; 150 feet west of section line in the SE1/4 NE1/4 NE1/4 sec. 7, T.14S., R.16E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Day soils have cracks 5 mm or more that open and close once each year and remain open for 120 to 150 consecutive days (mid-June thru mid-October). The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 60 to 75 percent clay. Depth to weathered sediments of the John Day Formation is 40 to over 60 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates typically is 10 to 24 inches but some pedons have carbonates at 2 inches in some pedons. The soils range from neutral to moderately alkaline in the upper part and neutral to strongly alkaline in the AB, Bk, and C horizons. Color hue throughout the profile is derived from the parent material.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5YR, 5YR, or 2.5Y value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry and chroma of 2 through 6 moist and dry. It is clay, silty clay, cobbly clay, or silty clay loam with 0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 30 percent stones.
The AB horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 5YR, 2.5YR or 10R, value of 3 or 4 moist and dry and chroma of 3 through 6 moist and dry. This horizon has weak to strong wedge-shaped or blocky structure and when dry, very coarse irregular prismatic structure or vertical cracking is prominent. It is clay or silty clay with 0 to 15 percent gravel.
The Bk and C horizon has colors very similar to the AB horizon. It has platy laminated, or wedge-shaped angular blocky structure or the horizon is massive. It is clay, silty clay, silty clay loam, or sandy clay loam. The Bk horizon in some pedons has few to common intersecting slickensides.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ager, Agerdelly and Beirman series. Ager soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to paralithic siltstone and mudstone. Agerdelly soils have depth to carbonates of 30 to 44 inches. Beirman soils are tentative and need further review for adequate separation
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Day soils are on fans and dissected uplands with irregular topography at elevations of 1,200 to 5,300 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 70 percent. The soils formed in old yellowish or reddish clayey calcareous sediments from the John Day Formation. The climate is characterized by cool moist winters and hot dry summers. The mean summer temperature is 59 degrees to 66 degrees F., mean winter temperature is 31 degrees to 35 degrees F., mean annual temperature is 45 degrees to 54 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The frost-free period is 50 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Curant, Simas and Tub soils. Curant soils have less than 35 percent clay throughout. Simas and Tub soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation dominantly is bluebunch wheatgrass, giant wildrye, basin big sagebrush and shadscale.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Oregon and southwestern Idaho; MLRA 10. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Crook County (Prineville Area), Oregon, 1963.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - from 3 to 55 inches (ABss, ABkss, and Bk horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches.
Chromic feature - from 0 to 19 inches having chroma moist or dry of 3 or more.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data for 1 pedon (S68-33-1) from Wasco County, Oregon by Oregon State University Laboratory, 1968.