LOCATION DREWSEY OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Drewsey very fine sandy loam-rangeland, on an 11 percent southeast-facing slope at 3,700 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 7, 1991 the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--14 to 32 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; few fine and very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); diffuse irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 15 to 30 inches)
Bk--32 to 62 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and very fine irregular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon; about 1 mile northeast of Drewsey; 200 feet north and 2,500 feet east of the southwest corner of section 13, T. 20 S., R. 35 E. (Latitude 43 degrees, 49 minutes, 25 seconds N., Longitude 118 degrees, 21 minutes, 26 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually dry from June through November and moist during the winter and spring months. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. Depth to bedrock and solum thickness is greater than 60 inches. The particle-size control section averages 10 to 18 percent clay, 35 to 60 percent fine sand or coarser material and 0 to 10 percent rock fragments. Organic matter is less than 1 percent throughout the profile. Depth to carbonates is 20 to 35 inches.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. It has 0 to 30 percent rock fragments. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. It is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
The Bk horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. It is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. It is slightly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chedehap, Irrigon, Prosser, Royal, Sohappy, Vining and Wiehl series. Chedehap soils have loose sand and gravel at 25 to 40 inches. Prosser and Vining soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Irrigon and Wiehl soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Royal soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 50 to 56 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Drewsey soils are on hills and hillsides and have slopes of 1 to 20 percent. The soils formed in eolian material and colluvium from tuffaceous sediments and mudflow deposits. Elevations are 2,000 to 4,000 feet. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost free period is 80 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gumble, Jett, Legler and Porterfield soils. Gumble soils are on hillsides, are clayey and 10 to 20 inches to bedrock. Jett soils are on stream terraces, are fine-silty and have a mollic epipedon. Legler soils are on flood plains and fans, and are fine loamy. Porterfield soils are on hillsides and are 10 to 20 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is Wyoming and basin big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass and Thurber needlegrass. Where pH ranges to moderately alkaline, greasewood and basin wildrye is in the plant community.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Oregon; MLRA 10. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harney County, Oregon 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - from 3 to 32 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data available from type location S92OR-025-002; for the Bw1 and Bw2 horizons.