LOCATION FORSHEY OR

Established Series
IRD. RJO/JLW/KMS
01/2019

FORSHEY SERIES

Landscape--mountains
Landform--mountain slopes
Slope--0 to 60 percent
Parent material--thin mantle of mixed volcanic ash over colluvium derived from granite
Mean annual precipitation--about 830 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 5 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--xeric
Soil temperature regime--frigid
Soil moisture subclass--typic

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Forshey ashy loam, forested, on a 28-percent, southwest-facing slope at an elevation of 1335 m

Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed needles and twigs

A--5 to 20 cm; ashy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) dry, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; few fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary

AB--20 to 43 cm; ashy sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; few fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary

2Eb--43 to 66 cm; gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary

2Btb--66 to 114 cm; gravelly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; many thin clay films on ped faces; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary

2BCb--114 to 155 cm; gravelly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; common thin clay films on ped faces; few fine roots throughout; few fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5)

TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon, in section 22, T. 7 S., R. 43 E.; Balm Creek Reservoir U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle; latitude 44.9397675, longitude -117.4272071, datum WGS84 (source of coordinates unknown but probably estimated from point on hard copy map)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--6 to 7 degrees C
Mean summer soil temperature--11 to 12 degrees C
Mean winter soil temperature--1 to 3 degrees C
Soil moisture control section--dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Thickness of mollic epipedon--25 to 40 cm
Thickness of argillic horizon--45 to 90 cm
Thickness of ash-influenced layers--25 to 40 cm

Estimated properties of layers influenced by volcanic ash
*Ammonium oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe--0.2 to 0.8 percent
*0.02- to 2.0-mm fraction--30 to 50 percent
*Glass content in 0.02- to 2.0-mm fraction--15 to 30 percent

Particle-size control section
*Clay content--24 to 35 percent
*Total rock fragment content--5 to 30 percent

A horizon
Moist color--7.5YR 3/2, 10YR 3/2, 10YR 3/3
Dry color--7.5YR 3/4, 10YR 4/3, 10YR 4/4, 10YR 5/3
Fine-earth texture--ashy loam, ashy silt loam
Clay content--12 to 18 percent
Sand content--20 to 35 percent
Organic matter content--3 to 10 percent
Total rock fragment content--0 to 5 percent
Gravel content--0 to 5 percent
Reaction--6.1 to 7.3

AB horizon
Moist color--7.5YR 3/2, 10YR 3/3
Dry color--10YR 4/4, 10YR 5/4
Fine-earth texture--ashy sandy clay loam, ashy silt loam
Clay content--18 to 25 percent
Sand content--20 to 50 percent
Organic matter content--2 to 6 percent
Total rock fragment content--0 to 10 percent
Gravel content--0 to 10 percent
Reaction--5.6 to 6.5
Combined thickness of A and AB horizons--25 to 40 cm

2Eb horizon
Moist color--7.5YR 4/4, 10YR 3/4
Dry color--7.5YR 4/6, 7.5YR 5/4, 10YR 5/4
Fine-earth texture--sandy clay loam, silt loam
Clay content--20 to 30 percent
Sand content--20 to 50 percent
Organic matter content--1 to 2 percent
Total rock fragment content--5 to 30 percent
Gravel content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--5.6 to 6.5
Thickness--20 to 30 cm

2Btb horizon
Moist color--7.5YR 4/4, 7.5YR 4/6, 10YR 4/4, 10YR 4/6
Dry color--5YR 4/6, 7.5YR 4/6, 7.5YR 5/4, 7.5YR 5/6, 10YR 5/4, 10YR 6/4
Fine-earth texture--clay loam
Clay content--30 to 35 percent
Sand content--22 to 40 percent
Organic matter content--0.5 to 2 percent
Total rock fragment content--5 to 30 percent
Gravel content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--5.6 to 6.5
Thickness--20 to 30 cm

2BCb horizon
Moist color--7.5YR 4/4, 7.5YR 4/6, 10YR 4/6, 10YR 6/6
Dry color--7.5YR 5/6, 10YR 5/6, 10YR 7/3
Fine-earth texture--clay loam, silty clay loam, loam
Clay content--22 to 30 percent
Sand content--18 to 50 percent
Organic matter content--0.3 to 1.5 percent
Total rock fragment content--20 to 35 percent
Gravel content--20 to 35 percent
Reaction--5.6 to 6.5

COMPETING SERIES:
Bly--100 to 150 cm or more (deep, very deep) to a duripan; dry 60 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Bolobin--50 to 100 cm (moderately deep) to lithic contact (basalt); formed in a mixed mantle of volcanic ash and loess over colluvium derived from basalt; mollic epipedon more than 50 cm thick
Bolony--50 to 100 cm (moderately deep) to lithic contact (basalt); formed in loess with a minor influence of volcanic ash over colluvium derived from basalt; 5 to 15 percent volcanic glass in upper part; mollic epipedon more than 50 cm thick
Forbord--150 to 200 cm (very deep) to lithic contact; formed in a mixed mantle of volcanic ash and loess over colluvium derived from basalt, rhyolite, tuff, or marine sediment; mixed mantle 18 to 25 cm thick; andic soil properties; 30 to 50 percent volcanic glass; mollic epipedon 50 to 100 cm thick; dry 75 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Hess--100 to 150 cm (deep) to lithic contact (tuff, basalt); 0 to 15 percent rock fragments and 5 to 50 percent pararock fragments in particle-size control section; dry 45 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Lidos--more than 150 cm thick; formed in colluvium derived from basalt with an influence of volcanic ash in upper part of solum over alluvium derived from pyroclastic material; 5 to 20 percent glass in mantle influenced by volcanic ash; dry 45 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Melhorn--more than 150 cm thick; formed in a mixed mantle of volcanic ash and loess over colluvium derived from basalt; angular or subangular rock fragments, including cobbles, in subsoil; dry 45 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Nibolob--100 to 150 cm (deep) to lithic contact (basalt); formed in a mixed mantle of volcanic ash and loess over colluvium derived from basalt; mollic epipedon 50 to 75 cm thick
Raycreek--50 to 100 cm (moderately deep) to lithic contact (tuff); formed in a mantle of colluvium mixed with volcanic ash over residuum derived from metasedimentary rock; mollic epipedon 50 to 75 cm thick; less than 15 percent rock fragments in argillic horizon; dry 60 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Salcreek--more than 150 cm thick; formed in medisedimentary till with a minor influence of volcanic ash above the till; 5 to 20 percent volcanic glass in ash-influenced upper part; more than 50 percent sand in particle-size control section
Spartabutte--50 to 100 cm (moderately deep) to lithic contact (granite); formed in loess with a minor influence of volcanic ash over colluvium derived from granitic rock; 5 to 15 percent volcanic glass in upper part
Vangoe--100 to 150 cm (deep) to lithic contact (basalt); mollic epipedon 50 to 75 cm thick; dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--1210 to 1470 m
Climate--cold, wet winters; warm, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation--720 to 920 mm
Mean annual air temperature--5 to 6 degrees C
Frost-free period--25 to 80 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Golfer--on steep, convex backslopes; moderately deep; mollic epipedon; loamy-skeletal; minor amount of volcanic ash; under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, pinegrass, mallow ninebark, and elk sedge
Sixdollar--on north-facing slopes; deep; mollic epipedon; thick volcanic ash mantle; under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir, birchleaf spirea, common snowberry, and pinegrass
Spartabutte--on backslopes; moderately deep; mollic epipedon; argillic horizon; minor influence of volcanic ash; under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir, common snowberry, birchleaf spirea, mountain snowberry, elk sedge, and pinegrass

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Saturation during normal years--none
Flooding--none
Ponding--none
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--watershed, wildlife habitat, timber production, livestock grazing, recreation
Native vegetation-- Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, pinegrass, heartleaf arnica, woodland strawberry, Virginia strawberry, common snowberry, white spirea, lupine, baldhip rose, elk sedge, low Oregon grape
Plant association--dominantly PSME/SYAL (Douglas-fir/common snowberry); may include PSME/CAGE (Douglas-fir/elk sedge) or PSME/PBE (Douglas-fir/birchleaf spirea)

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon; MLRA 43C; small extent

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Oregon; 2018

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon
*Mollic epipedon--zone from 5 to 43 cm
*Argillic horizon--zone from 66 to 155 cm
*Volcanic glass--zone from the mineral soil surface to a depth of 43 cm
*Particle-size control section--zone from 66 to 117 cm

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.