LOCATION GAMELAKE OR

Established Series
Rev. MHF/CDJ/RWL
06/2011

GAMELAKE SERIES

The Gamelake series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types. Gamelake soils are on broad ridgetops and south-facing side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 140 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Typic Humudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Gamelake very gravelly loam - woodland, on a 55 percent south-facing slope at 3,900 feet elevation. (When described on October 25, 1989 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and woody materials.

A1--1 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium, and few very fine and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--5 to 14 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 20 inches)

Bw1--14 to 24 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--24 to 40 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; weak medium parting to moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 60 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 20 to 30 inches)

BC--40 to 51 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; weak coarse parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

C--51 to 73 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; located about 990 feet south and 2,310 feet west of the northeast corner of section 4, T. 37 S., R. 12 W., W.M. (Latitude 42 degrees, 24 minutes, 25 seconds N.; Longitude 124 degrees, 07 minutes, 01 seconds W.)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 46 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for less than 45 consecutive days between depths of 4 and 12 inches in the four months following the summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 10 to 20 percent clay, more than 30 percent coarser than fine sand, and has 40 to 70 percent rock fragments. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Soil reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid throughout. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick and may include the upper part of the Bw horizon.

The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is very gravelly loam averaging 10 to 25 percent clay. It has 35 to 45 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.

The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam averaging 10 to 20 percent clay, with more than 30 percent coarser than fine sand. It has 40 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly coarse sandy loam averaging 5 to 15 percent clay, with more than 30 percent coarser than fine sand. It has 50 to 60 percent gravel and 5 to 10 percent cobbles.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Balsam, Illahee, Scaredman, and Stackyards soils. Balsam soils have a particle-size control section dominated by stones and cobbles of mica gneiss, granite, hornblende gneiss, or hornblende schist origin with and content of mica flakes ranging from few to common throughout the solum. Illahee soils have less than 30 percent coarser than fine sand in the Bw horizon and are dominated by rock fragments of basalt or welded tuff origin throughout the solum. Scaredman soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Stackyards soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock and have 25 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gamelake soils are on metastable broad ridgetops and active south-facing side slopes of mountains. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types of the Dothan Formation. Elevations are 3,800 to 5,500 feet. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and warm moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 120 to 160 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tincup and Tolfork soils. Tincup soils are on broad ridgetops and side slopes of mountains and are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Tolfork soils are on north-facing side slopes of mountains, are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock, and have umbric epipedons greater than 20 inches thick.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for timber production, watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Douglas-fir, white fir, Shasta red fir, western white pine, sugar pine, golden chinkapin, Sadler oak, salal, cascade Oregongrape, western princes pine, creeping snowberry, big huckleberry, western rattlesnake plantain, baldhip rose, and evergreen violet.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of southwestern Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Curry County, Oregon, 1995.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:

Umbric epipedon - from 1 to 14 inches (A1, A2 horizons).

Cambic horizon - from a depth of 14 to 40 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons).

Particle size control section - from 11 to 41 inches (part of the A2 horizon, Bw1, Bw2, and part of the BC horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data available for pedon 90P 309, samples 90P1903-1904 from Curry County, Oregon sampled by NSSL at Lincoln, Nebraska - 3/90.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.