LOCATION DURKEE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Calcic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Durkee gravelly silt loam - on a 7 percent
slope, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless
otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2)
gravelly silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine
platy and weak very fine granular structure; soft, friable,
slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and
fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel;
neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches
thick)
2A2--7 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2)
clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine
subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and
plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine
tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary.
(0 to 8 inches thick)
2Bt1--10 to 14 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay, brown
(10YR 4/3) dry; weak fine prismatic structure parting to
moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, friable, very
sticky and very plastic; common fine roots; common very fine
and fine tubular pores; continuous thick clay films on faces
of peds and in pores; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth
boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
2Bt2--14 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4)
clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; moderate fine prismatic
structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very
hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots;
common fine and very fine tubular pores; continuous thick
clay films on faces of peds and in pores; neutral (pH 7.2);
clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
3Bk--17 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam,
pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; hard, friable, sticky
and plastic; no roots; common fine and very fine tubular
pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4);
abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
3R--22 inches; Lime-coated argillite.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; located 1/4 mile south
of the White Swan Mine in the NW1/4NW1/4NW1/4 of sec. 36, T.
9 S., R 41 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are dry in all parts
for 45 to 90 days (cumulative) when the soil temperature is
above 5 degrees C. Depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40
inches, and the depth to secondary lime is 15 to 30 inches.
The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist and 4
or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is
gravelly silt loam or very stony loam with 15 to 27 percent
clay and 15 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles,
and 0 to 20 percent stones.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 to 5 moist and 3
to 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silty
clay or clay with 40 to 60 percent clay. It has weak and
moderate prismatic structure parting to moderate and strong subangular or angular blocky. In some pedons the lower part
is calcareous. It is neutral to moderately alkaline. It
has 0 to 15 percent coarse fragments.
The 3Bk horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist and 6
or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 2 or 3 dry. It is
cobbly clay loam, very cobbly clay loam, very gravelly clay
loam, silty clay loam or clay loam with 27 to 40 percent
clay. It has 0 to 50 percent gravel and cobbles. It is
mildly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ant Flat and Gemid series.
The Ant Flat soils have hue of 7.5YR to 2.5YR and are over
40 inches deep to bedrock. Gemid soils lack the ash and loess influence in the A horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Durkee soils are on smooth rolling
hills. Slopes range from 1 to 60 percent. Elevation ranges
from 3,600 to 6,100 feet. The soils formed in colluvium
from argillite or rhyolite with an influence of volcanic ash
and loess in the upper part. The climate is characterized
by cold wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual
temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The mean annual
precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The frost-free period is
50 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Encina,
Poall,
Hibbard and
Pritchard soils. The Encina and Poall
soils are deep to lacustrine sediments, have mesic soils
temperatures and are on adjacent lower terraces. The
Hibbard soil is moderately deep to a duripan, has mesic soil temperatures and is on adjacent terraces. The Pritchard
soil is deep to bedrock, has mesic soil temperatures and is
on adjacent hillslopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid
runoff; slow permeability.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Oregon and southwestern
Idaho. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon; 1941.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in
this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a
depth of approximately 14 inches (A1, 2A2, 2Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 10 to 22
inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2 horizons).
Calcic horizon - the zone from approximately 17 to 22 inches
(3Bk horizon).