LOCATION FARMELL OR+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Xeric Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Farmell silt loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; few medium pores in the top 3 inches, many very fine irregular pores from 3 to 7 inches; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
AB--7 to 12 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
BA--12 to 15 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 22 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic parting to strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; many roots; many very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--22 to 30 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; many roots; few very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--30 to 38 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; lime segregations along root channels; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bk2--38 to 43 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; few lime streaks; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bk3--43 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Malheur County, Oregon; 600 feet east of the well and windmill, 600 feet west of north and south fence line in the NE1/4 NE1/4 SE1/4 section 3, T. 16 S., R. 46 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 48 to 53 degrees F. Farmell soils are usually dry but are moist in some parts between 4 to 12 inches for a cumulative period equal to less than one-half of the time that the soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F., and moist between depths of 4 to 12 inches for at least 60 days out of the 120 days following the winter solstice and are dry for 45 consecutive days or more between 4 to 12 inches within the 4-month period following the summer solstice. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Depth to carbonates is 18 to 36 inches. The soils lack rock fragments.
The A or Ap horizon has value of 6 dry and 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is neutral to slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry and 3 to 5 moist, chroma of 2, 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silty clay loam, clay or silty clay with 35 to 50 percent clay. Clay films are common to continuous and faint to distinct. It has weak or moderate prismatic and moderate or strong subangular or blocky structure. It is slightly to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buncelvoir, Diaz (T), Glasgow, Lanktree, Oppio, Risley, Schamp, and Trunk series. Diaz soils are strongly effervescent at 12 to 24 inches and are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Glasgow and Trunk soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Lanktree soils have an E horizon and are neutral to slightly alkaline and lack the high silt of the Farmell soils. Oppio soils are neutral to moderately acid and have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 30 inches. Risley soils are 20 to 30 inches to a paralithic contact. Schamp soils have formed in loamy alluvium superimposed over very cobbly loam alluvium and lack the high silt of the Farmell soils. Buncelvoir soils have carbonates at depths of 10 to 18 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Farmell soils are on uplands with slopes of 0 to 50 percent. Elevation is 2,600 to 4,600 feet. The soils are formed in loess-capped, old silty alluvium from mixed materials. The climate is semiarid with a mean annual precipitation of 8 to 12 inches. The mean July temperature is about 68 to 72 degrees F.; mean winter temperature is about 26 to 30 degrees F.; mean annual temperature is 46 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beirman, Chilcott and Virtue series. The Beirman soils have more than 60 percent clay. The Chilcott and Virtue soils have duripans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate to rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The principal use is for range. Dryland grain is produced under summer fallow conditions.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Malheur County, Oregon, and southwestern and south central Idaho. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cassia County, Idaho, Eastern Part, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 12 inches (Ap and AB horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 15 to 30 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).