LOCATION DESCHUTES OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Deschutes ashy sandy loam - rangeland, on a 1 percent concave slopes at 3000 feet elevation. (when described (5/2/85), the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; 1 percent subrounded gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
A2--3 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common fine interstitial pores; 1 percent subrounded gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
A3--7 to 17 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine interstitial pores; 1 percent subrounded gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Bk--17 to 28 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine, medium, and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; 2 percent subrounded gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
2Bkq--28 to 31 inches; grayish brown and light grayish brown (10YR 5/2,6/2) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine platy structure; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many medium and coarse tubular pores; very fine concentrations and pseudomycelia of silica and calcium carbonate; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt broken boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
3R--31 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Deschutes County, Oregon; 400 feet west and 200 feet south of the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 26, T. 15S, R. 12E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 14 minutes, 9 seconds N, Longitude 121 degrees, 15 minutes, 42 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is usually dry and is dry in all parts for 90 to 150 days (cumulative). Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The solum has a phosphate retention of 15 to 25 percent, 10 to 30 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate, and acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron of 0.4 to 0.8 percent. The mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. It is neutral to slightly alkaline. The particle-size control section contains 5 to 10 percent clay and 55 to 75 percent sand. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 14 inches thick. The base saturation is 80 to 100 percent.
The A horizon has color value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist with chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 2 to 4 dry. It has 0 to 5 percent gravels, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones. Total rock fragments is 0 to 10 percent.
The 2B horizon has color value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist with chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It contains 0 to 5 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. Total rock fragments range from 0 to 20 percent. It is ashy sandy loam or gravelly ashy sandy loam. It contains 0 to 15 percent durinodes. Rock fragments and durinodes have thin opal or lime coatings.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Caphealy, Era, Houstake, and the Lafollette series. Era, Houstake and Lafollette soils are over 40 inches deep to bedrock. Caphealy soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Deschutes soils are on lava plains at elevations of 2,500 to 4,000 feet. They formed in volcanic ash. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual temperature is 8 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The frost free period is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buckbert, Houstake, Lickskillet, Redmond, Statz, Stukel, Redcliff, and Redslide soils. Buckbert and Houstake soils are in swales and are very deep to bedrock. Lickskillet and Stukel are on volcanic uplands and are shallow to bedrock. Redmond soils are fine-loamy. Statz soils are on volcanic uplands and are shallow to a duripan. Redcliff and Redslide soils are on volcanic uplands and are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated crops, pasture, and hayland, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is western juniper, mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, needleandthread, and western needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Deschutes basin of central Oregon; MLRA 10, pumice zone area. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deschutes County, Oregon, 1939.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
mollic epipedon - from the soil surface to 10 inches (A1, A2, and part of the A3 horizons)
cambic horizon - from 17 to 31 inches (2Bk, 2Bkq horizons)
Vitritorrandic - the upper 7 inches (A1 and A2 horizons) have an acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron of 0.70 and 0.51 respectively, and glass content is 19 and 17 percent respectively.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data are available for this soil. Reference sample S87OR-017-002 from Deschutes County, Oregon, NSSL, Lincoln, NE. 4/89; other pedon data S87OR-017-001 and 003.