LOCATION DRAKEBUTTE ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Drakebutte gravelly ashy loam, on a 50 percent north slope, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) gravelly ashy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
A2--4 to 11 inches; black (10YR 2/1) gravelly ashy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots, few medium; common fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 7 to 14 inches thick)
2AB--11 to 27 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 15 percent sand-size( 0.25 to 1.0mm )pumice; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
1Bk1--27 to 43 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); slightly effervescent with disseminated lime; clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2Bk2--43 to 52 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 15 percent cobbles and 60 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); segregated lime in seams; abrupt wavy boundary
2Crk-- 52 to 62 inches; fractured andesite, with segregated lime in seams and in fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Oregon; located 2,100 feet south and 2,000 feet west of the NE corner of section 6, T. 17 S., R. 20 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually dry, the soils are dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F.. Depth to bedrock is 40 to 60 inches. The thickness of the mollic epipedon and depth to carbonates is 20 to 30 inches thick. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay. Depth to segregated calcium carbonate is 30 to 44 inches.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It contains 15 to 30 percent gravel. It has 5 to 20 percent glass with acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the iron of 0.5 to 1.0.
The AB horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loam or sandy loam and contains 35 to 60 percent gravel, and 0 to 25 percent sand-size pumice.
The Bk1 horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam and contains 40 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles. It is slightly or moderately alkaline and is slightly to strongly effervescent.
The Bk2 horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam and contains 40 to 70 percent gravel and 10 to 30 percent cobbles. It is moderately to strongly alkaline and is strongly to violently effervescent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Drakebutte soils are on buttes at elevations of 3,500 to 4,300 feet. Slopes range from 8 to 65 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from andesite with an influence of volcanic ash in the surface. Climate is characterized by cold moist winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, the mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gooserock, Lickskillet, Polly, and Redcliff soils. Lickskillet soils are shallow to bedrock and are on adjacent south slopes. Polly soils are on fine-loamy, very deep and are on adjacent fan terraces. Redcliff soils are moderately deep to bedrock and are on adjacent south slopes. Gooserock soils are mesic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Drakebutte soils are used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, mountain big sagebrush, and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon; MLRA B10. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Crook County Area, Oregon; November, 2001.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features include:
Mollic epipedon(Pachic) - from the surface to a depth of 27 inches
Cambic horizon - the zone from 27 to 52 inches
Vitric feature - the zone from 0 to 11 inches
Calcic feature - calcium carbonates in the zone from 27 to 52 inches with segregated carbonates at 43 inches