LOCATION FLYCREEK OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over clayey, amorphic over smectitic, frigid Alfic Udivitrands
TYPICAL PEDON: Flycreek ashy silt loam - woodland, on a 20 percent convex northwest-facing slope at an elevation of 4,430 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. Andic soil materials are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; partially decomposed duff, needles and twigs.
A--1 to 8 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick.)
Bw--8 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; common fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick.)
2Btbl--23 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
2Btb2--27 to 34 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Btb horizon is 8 to 18 inches.)
R--34 inches; weathered acidic tuffs.
TYPE LOCATION: Union County, Oregon, about 2,236 feet north and 2,485 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 3, T. 6 S., R. 35 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - usually moist but are dry for 20 to 35 consecutive days
Mean annual soil temperature - 42 to 44 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 50 to 53 degrees F.
Upper part of the particle-size control section - 5 to 10 percent clay and 0 to 10 percent rock fragments
Lower part of the particle-size control section - 35 to 50 percent clay and 5 to 20 percent rock fragments
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches
Solum thickness - 20 to 40 inches
Volcanic ash mantle - 14 to 22 inches thick
Particles of 0.02 to 2.0 mm - 45 to 55 percent
Organic matter - 0.5 to 4 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable A1 plus 1/2 Fe - 2 to 3 percent
Volcanic glass content - 10 to 25 percent
Phosphate retention - 60 to 85 percent
15-bar water retention on air-dried sample - 5 to 15 percent
A horizon
hue - 10YR
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 moist or dry
Texture - ashy SIL. Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Clay - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.0
Bulk density - 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc
Bw horizon
hue - 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist or dry
Texture - ashy SIL, ashy L, ashy VFSL
Rock fragments - 0 to 10 percent gravel
Clay - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.0
Bulk density - 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc
2Btb horizon
hue - 10YR or 7.5 YR
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist or dry
Texture - CL, C, GR-C, GR-CL
Rock fragments - 5 to 20 percent total with 5 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Clay - 35 to 50 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.0
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Geisercreek soils.
Geisercreek soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Flycreek soils are on shoulders and back slopes of mountains or plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. The soil is formed in ash over residuum and colluvium derived from acidic tuffs. Elevations are 3,600 to 6,200 feet. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and warm, moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F. The frost-free period is 30 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Btree, Syrupcreek, Flyvalley, and Thirstygulch soils. Btree soils are 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact, have greater than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower subsoil and are located on side slopes of mountains. Syrupcreek soils have less than 35 percent clay in the lower subsoil and are located on side slopes of mountains. Flyvalley soils are 10 to 20 inches to hard fractured tuffs, have less than 35 percent clay in the profile and are located on shoulders of mountains. Thirstygulch soils lack andic properties, lack a contrasting particle-size control section, and are located on side slopes of mountains and plateaus.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability in the upper ash layer and slow permeability in the lower subsoil.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, watershed, recreation and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is grand fir, western larch, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, twinflower, prince's pine, big huckleberry, northwestern sedge, Scoulars willow, birchleaf spiraea, western meadowrue, roundleaf violet, pinegrass, heartleaf arnica, sidebelle pyrola and rattlesnake plantain.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon; MLRA 43c. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa County, Oregon 1998. The name is derived from Fly Creek.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 7 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 7 to 22 inches (Bw horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 22 to 33 inches (2Btb1 and 2Btb2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 0 to 33 inches with 0 to 22 inches qualifying as andic materials and ashy, and 22 to 33 inches qualifying as clayey
Andic materials - the zone from 0 to 22 inches (A and Bw horizons)
USFS Plant Association is ABGR/LIBO2