LOCATION EAGLECAP OR

Inactive Series
Rev. GDM/RWL/DAL/JAL
12/2012

EAGLECAP SERIES

The Eaglecap series consists of very deep, well drained soils on mountains. They formed in colluvium derived dominantly from quartz diorite, with an influence of volcanic ash in the surface. Slopes are 30 to 80 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 35 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 38 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal over loamy-skeletal, amorphic over isotic Typic Vitricryands

TYPICAL PEDON: Eaglecap very stony ashy loam - on a 47 percent north-facing slope, woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed fir needles, grass and moss.

A1--1 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very stony ashy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, and weakly smeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine continuous irregular pores; 30 percent stones and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary.

A2--4 to 17 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very stony ashy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine continuous random tubular pores; 10 percent stones, 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 14 to 25 inches)

2Bw--17 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine continuous vertical tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)

2C1--29 to 38 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine continuous vertical tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles, 30 percent gravel and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)

2C2--38 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly loamy sand, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine discontinuous random tubular pores; 50 percent cobbles, 20 percent gravel and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; located 1,300 feet north and 500 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 10, T. 7 S., R. 37 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F., and the mean summer soil temperature is less than 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry in the moisture control section for 30 to 45 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to quartz diorite bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to the contrasting loamy-skeletal 2Bw horizon is 15 to 25 inches and sandy-skeletal 2C horizon is 25 to 40 inches. Gravel typically ranges from 2 to 5 mm in size.

The A1 horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry. The A2 horizon has moist value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry. The A horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is ashy loam or ashy silt loam and has 10 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 20 to 30 percent stones, with 35 to 60 percent total rock fragments. It is weakly or moderately smeary. It is estimated to have phosphate retention of 50 to 85 percent, ammonium oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 1.5 to 3.0 percent, eight times silica plus two times iron of 5 to 12 percent, eight times silica minus two times iron of 4 to 8 percent, and volcanic glass content of 60 to 80 percent. Bulk density is 0.85 to 0.95 g/cubic centimeter.

The 2Bw horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It has 15 to 30 percent gravel, 10 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 20 percent stones.

The 2C horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. Texture of the fine-earth is loamy sand with 10 to 30 percent gravel, 20 to 50 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Currier series. A series in a similar classification with glassy over isotic mineralogy is the Nomlas soil.
Currier soils depth to contrasting loamy-skeletal material is 30 to 36 inches; the ashy-skeletal part of the pscs has 30 to 70 percent glass; the loamy-skeletal part of the pscs has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y and is moderately acid to strongly acid.
Nomlas soils depth to contrasting loamy-skeletal material is 20 to 30 inches; does not have a sandy-skeletal substratum within 60 inches; the ashy-skeletal part of the pscs has 30 to 70 percent glass.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Eaglecap soils are on north-facing side slopes of mountains. Elevations range from 6,200 to 8,500 feet. Slope is 30 to 80 percent. The soil is formed in colluvium derived dominantly from quartz diorite, with an influence of volcanic ash in the surface. The climate is characterized by cold wet winters and cool moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 30 to 40 inches. The mean annual temperature is 35 to 40 degrees F. The frost-free period is 20 to 40 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Angelpeak, Dogtown, Kilmerque and Tolo soils. Angelpeak soils are on adjacent argillite areas and are ashy over loamy-skeletal. Kilmerque soils are frigid and are on adjacent south-facing slopes. Dogtown soils are frigid, have a mollic epipedon and are on lower elevation north slopes. Tolo soils are frigid, are ashy over loamy and are on lower elevation north-facing toe slopes and fans.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate in the surface horizons and moderately rapid in the subsoil.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, and western larch with an understory of elk sedge and grouse blueberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Elkhorn and Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon; MLRA 43. The soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon; 1988.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 7 inches (A1, part of A2 horizons).
Andic feature - the zone from 1 to a depth of approximately 17 inches (A1, A2 horizons). Andic properties based on laboratory sample from geographically associated Angelpeak and Mudlakebasin soils.
Cambic horizon - the zone from 17 to 29 inches (2Bw horizon).
Particle-size control section - from 1 to 41inches with 1 to 17 inches (A1 and A2 horizons) meeting ashy-skeletal criteria and from 17 to 29 inches (2Bw horizon) meeting loamy-skeletal criteria and from 29 to 41 meeting sandy-skeletal criteria. Family based on the adjacent contrasting ashy-skeletal and loamy-skeletal layers.

Classification revised 12/02 from mixed to isotic mineralogy.
Classification revised 07/04 from loamy-skeletal, isoticTypic Vitricryands to ashy-skeletal over loamy-skeletal, amorphic over isotic Typic Vitricryands based on laboratory data from the geographically associated Angelpeak and Mudlakebasin series.
Series inactivated 12/2012 as part of the final correlation of the OR631 Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon Soil Survey.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.