LOCATION ELSIE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, isotic, mesic Typic Haplohumults
TYPICAL PEDON: Elsie silt loam, woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; partially decomposed duff, leaves, twigs, moss, roots.
A1--2 to 9 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; common medium irregular pores; extremely acid (pH 4.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--9 to 26 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 20 to 30 inches)
Bt1--26 to 36 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films in pores; extremely acid (pH 4.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--36 to 52 inches dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores and on peds; extremely acid (pH 4.2); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 18 to 33 inches)
BC--52 to 64 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine and very fine and fine tubular pores; extremely acid (pH 4.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Clatsop County, Oregon, about 50 feet north of Jewell road, southwest 1/4 northwest 1/4, section 13, T. 5 N., R. 7 W., Willamette Meridian; Sager Creek, OR 7.5 minute USGS Quad; NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is usually moist but is dry for a short period of less than 45 consecutive days between depths of 4 to 12 inches in the four month period following the summer solstice in most years. The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 55 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The umbric epipedon is 20 to 30 inches thick. The solum is extremely acid to strongly acid. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR. The particle-size control section has 18 to 35 percent clay content and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Texture is silt loam with 18 to 25 percent clay. It has 5 to 12 percent organic matter.
The Bt horizon has value of 3 to 6 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 to 6 moist and dry. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam or clay loam with 22 to 30 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand. It has 0 to 10 percent paragravel.
The BC horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 4 to 6 moist and dry. Texture is loam or silt loam with 18 to 27 percent clay and 0 to 10 percent paragravel.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The Bacona series has a similar classification except for a mixed mineralogy. Bacona soils have 2.5 YR and 5YR hue and greater than 30 percent clay in the substratum.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Elsie soils occur on stream terraces. Elevations are 80 to 800 feet. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in mixed silty alluvium derived from igneous and sedimentary rock. The climate is characterized by warm wet winters and hot moist summers. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 53 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 60 to 100 inches. The frost-free period is 140 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mayger, Rinearson, and the competing Northrup series. Mayger soils are somewhat poorly drained and are fine-textured. Rinearson soils lack an argillic horizon and are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock. Mayger and Rinearson soils occur on mountains, and Northrup soils occur on stream terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Elsie soils are used for pasture, homesites, recreation, woodland, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Douglas fir, western hemlock, red alder, bigleaf maple, vine maple, western swordfern, western brackenfern, salal, and red huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along river valley terraces in the Coast Range Mountains of western Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clatsop County, Oregon, 1984. The source of the name is the community of Elsie in Clatsop County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features included in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - from surface to 24 inches (A1, A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 24 to 50 inches (Bt1, Bt2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 26 to 46
Depth to diagnostic horizons and features is measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
Classification revised 08/2002 from mixed mineralogy to isotic mineralogy.