LOCATION DRINKWATER OR
Established Series
Rev. SCW/TDT
12/2022
DRINKWATER SERIES
The Drinkwater series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in basaltic colluvium over weathered sediments. They are on fan remnants and hills. Slopes are 2 to 90 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Drinkwater gravelly loam - rangeland, on a 4 percent slope at an elevation of 2,900 feet. (When described on October 7, l998, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; strong thin and very thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; 15 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--6 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) cobbly clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium, fine, and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; carbonates on the underside of rocks; 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); gradual smooth boundary.
Bk2--10 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; carbonates on the underside of rocks; 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bk3--20 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly sandy clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; carbonates on the underside of rocks; 35 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 20 to 25 inches.)
2Bk4--31 to 43 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; carbonates on the underside of rocks; 15 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.
2Bk5--43 to 60 inches; dark olive brown (2.5Y 3/3) cobbly sandy clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine tubular pores; carbonates on the underside of rocks; 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4)
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon; located about 13 miles south of Kimberly; 2,000 feet east and 1,500 feet north of the SW corner of section 32, T. 11 S., R. 26 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is 41 degrees F. or more. The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is 60 inches or more. The particle size control section averages 35 to 60 percent rock fragments and 20 to 35 percent clay. Depth to secondary carbonate accumulation is 6 to 18 inches.
The A horizon has value of value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. The surface is a loam with 20 to 27 percent clay.
The Bw horizon is a clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay.
The A and Bw horizon has 0 to 25 percent stones, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 10 to 20 percent gravel. Soil reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizons have 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 with 25 to 35 percent clay. It has 0 to 15 percent stones, 10 to 35 percent cobbles, and 10 to 20 percent gravel. It is moderately or strongly alkaline. It has 8 to 15 percent calcium carbonate.
The 2Bk horizons have hues of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is sandy clay loam or sandy loam with 15 to 25 percent clay. It has 0 to 20 percent stones, 10 to 15 percent cobbles, and 10 to 25 percent gravel. It is moderately or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bluegulch,
Cewat,
Darkcanyon,
Lonegrave,
Finley,
Kiona,
Mackey,
Minat,
Nibbs,
Veta,
Veet, and
Wifton series. Bluegulch soils are deep to welded tuff and depth to carbonates is 18 to 35 inches. Cewat soils are moderately deep to basalt bedrock. Darkcanyon soils are moderately deep to highly fractured schist or graywacke. Lonegrave soils are moderately deep to igneous bedrock. Finley soils have a 2C horizon; sand and gravel at a depth of 20 to 40 inches and has 4 to 10 percent clay in the control section. Kiona soils averages 5 to 15 percent clay in the control section. Mackey soils are moderately deep to quartz latite bedrock. Minat soils have depth to carbonates of 18 to 27 inches. Nibbs soils have stratified sand and gravel layers at a depth of 21 to 41 inches. Veta soils have 5 to 15 percent clay in the control section. Veet soils has more than 45 percent sand throughout the profile and is moist for 10 to 20 days during the late summer and into the fall and depth to carbonates is 10 to 20 inches. Wifton soils have 60 to 80 percent rock fragments, and 10 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section and depth to carbonates of 10 to 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Drinkwater soils are on fan remnants and hills. They formed in basaltic colluvium over weathered sediments from the John Day Formation. Slopes are 2 to 90 percent. Elevation is 1,800 to 3,800 feet. The climate is semi-arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Brisbois,
Cant,
Gooserock), and
Meadowridge soils. Brisbois soils are in the clayey family, shallow to paralithic contact, and are found on hillslopes very near to Badlands. Cant soils are clayey-skeletal, moderately deep to bedrock, and are found on south slopes. Gooserock soils have a mollic epipedon, vitric properties in the surface, and are on steep, north slopes. Meadowridge soils are fine-loamy, vitric properties in the surface, and are found on benches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, basin wildrye, Thurber needlegrass, needleandthread, basin big sagebrush, and antelope bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Oregon, MLRA B-10. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are -
ochric epipedon
cambic horizon - from 3 to 31 inches (meets requirement 2b1)
secondary carbonate accumulation - from 6 to 31 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons)
Particle size control section - 10 to 40 inches (Bk2, Bk3, and the upper part of 2Bk4 horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial lab data is available for this soil. Reference samples S98OR-023-003-(1-5) from Grant County, Oregon.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.