LOCATION DEGNER OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Calcic Argixerolls
TYPIFYING PEDON: Degner gravelly loam, range. (Colors for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 3 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A12--3 to 13 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly heavy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 25 percent pebbles neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
B21t--13 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly light clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, very plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films; 25 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
IIB22t--18 to 27 inches; (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many thick dark (10YR 3/3) clay films; 50 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
IIICca--27 to 40 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; 50 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; strongly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
IVCr--40 inches.
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Oregon; 350 feet west of road in the SE1/2 NW1/4 SW1/4 sec. 32, T.9S., R.17E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are moist in some part above 12 inches for at least shale the time (cumulative) that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. but dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 70 to 90 consecutive days within the 3-month period following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 degrees to 51 degrees F. Depth to underlying bedrock is 40 to 60 inches. The sola range from 20 to 40 inches thick. The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is gravelly loam, gravelly silt loam or silt loam, and has weak or moderate granular and subangular blocky structure. The B horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is gravelly and very gravelly clay or heavy clay loam and has weak or moderate subangular blocky structure. The argillic horizon has a weighted average of clay ranging from 40 to 60 percent with 20 to 60 percent pebbles and 5 to 15 percent cobbles. The Cca horizon is gravelly or very gravelly loam, clay loam or clay with 25 to 60 percent pebbles and 5 to 10 percent cobbles and is weakly to strongly calcareous.
COMPETING SERIES AND THEIR DIFFERENTIAE: These are the Ferdinand, Hiibner, Ruclick, Tronsen, and Tub series. Ferdinand soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock and lack a Cca horizon. Hiibner soils lack secondary lime and have sola 45 to 60 inches or more thick. Ruclick soils are usually dry and are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Tronsen soils have argillic horizons thicker than 50 inches. Tub soils have a weighted average of less than 35 percent rock fragments in the argillic horizons.
SETTING: Degner soils are at elevations of 2,200 to 3,600 feet on sloping to steep north slopes. Slope gradients range from 12 to 40 percent. These soils formed in very gravelly and cobbly colluvium from fine textured old sediments of volcanic origin. Mean annual precipitation is 11 to 14 inches, mean annual temperature is 45 degrees to 49 degrees F., mean summer temperature is 62 degrees to 64 degrees F., and mean winter temperature is 31 degrees to 35 degrees F.
PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Curant, Donnybrook, and Gribble soils and the competing Tub soils. Curant soils have moderately fine textured cambic horizons and have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Donnybrook soils are on south-facing slopes and are less than 20 inches deep to bedrock. Gribble soils have duripans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal use is grazing. Native plants are Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and related forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County (Trout Creek-Shaniko Area), Oregon, 1970.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Chestnut soils.