LOCATION DICECREEK OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Dicecreek loam - woodland, on a southwest- facing slope of 46 percent at an elevation of 1400 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--1/2 inch to 0; slightly decomposed needles and twigs.
A--0 to 3 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 13 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 12 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) gravelly silty clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
R--12 inches; highly fractured interbedded siltstone and sandstone bedrock. Beds are 1/2 to 2 inches thick. Common faint clay films along bedrock fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Oregon, about 5 miles southwest of the town of Tenmile, 1600 feet west and 650 feet north of the southeast corner of section 23, T. 29 S., R. 8 W., W. M. (Latitude 43 degrees, 2 minutes, 11 seconds N, Longitude 123 degrees, 36 minutes, 58 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is 10 to 20 inches. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 80 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 57 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 25 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 35 percent rock fragments. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It has 0 to 15 percent gravel. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 to 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry and chroma of 4 to 6 moist and dry. It is clay loam, gravelly clay loam, or gravelly silty clay loam. It has 27 to 35 percent clay. It has 5 to 35 percent gravel. It is strongly acid to slightly acid. Base saturation by ammonium acetate is estimated to be 35 to 60 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Maymen series. Maymen soils are dry in the moisture control section for over 90 consecutive days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dicecreek soils are on south-facing side slopes. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium from siltstone and sandstone of the Tenmile Member of the Lookingglass Formation. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. Elevations are 800 to 2200 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation is 40 to 50 inches. The frost free period is 120 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Atring, Beekman, Bellpine, Chimneyrock, Vermisa, and Windygap soils. Atring, Beekman, and Bellpine soils are 20 to 40 inches deep. Chimneyrock are deep, loamy-skeletal, and over conglomerate. Vermisa soils are loamy-skeletal. Windygap soils are fine textured and are deep. Atring, Beekman, and Vermisa soils are present on adjacent more steeply sloping positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Dicecreek soils are used for timber production, watershed and wildlife habitat. Natural vegetation is Douglas fir, Pacific madrone, incense cedar, canyon live oak, creambush oceanspray, Pacific poison oak, woodrose, California fescue, whipplevine, hairy honeysuckle, and mountain brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Oregon, MLRA 5. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Oregon, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - from 3 to 12 inches. (Bw horizon)
Particle-size control section - from the soil surface to 12 inches. (A and Bw horizon)
Dystric subgroup - Base saturation is assumed to be less than 60 percent in all parts of the soil between 10 inches and bedrock, this is based on geographically associated soils.