LOCATION GOOSEROCK OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gooserock gravelly ashy loam, rangeland, on a 71 percent north-facing slope at an elevation of 2,220 feet. (When described on June 24, 1998, the soil was slightly moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) gravelly ashy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; few fine and common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent fine gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 18 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very cobbly ashy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly ard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 11 to 22 inches.)
Bw--18 to 34 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very cobbly ashy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse, medium, and fine and common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear irregular boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick.)
2Bk1--34 to 45 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) very stony clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; carbonates segregated into soft masses and filaments; lime coatings on the rock fragments; strongly effervescent; 40 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary.
2Bk2--45 to 62 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) very cobbly clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; carbonates segregated into soft masses and filaments; carbonates coatings on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; 25 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3)
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon, located about 1/8 of a mile north of Goose Rock; 2,300 feet west and 1,000 feet north of the SE corner of section 30, T. 11 S., R. 26 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 34 minutes, and 51 seconds N. and Longitude 119 degrees, 38 minutes, and 29 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is greater 60 inches. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 35 inches and has 5 to 20 percent glass with acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the iron of 0.5 to 1.0. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 60 percent rock fragments and 20 to 35 percent clay.
The A1 horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, chroma of 1 to 3 moist and dry. It has 8 to 20 percent clay with 5 to 20 percent gravel.
The A2 horizon has colors similar to the A1 horizon. It is loam or clay loam with 20 to 30 percent clay. It has 5 to 35 percent rock fragments with 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 5 to 20 percent gravel. It is slightly or moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon, when present, has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loam or clay loam with 25 to 35 percent clay. It has 10 to 40 percent rock fragments with 0 to 10 percent stones, 0 to 25 percent
cobbles, and 10 to 25 percent gravel.
The 2Bk horizons have hues of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 moist, 4 to 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist, 2 to 4 dry. It is clay loam or silty clay loam with 30 to 40 percent clay. It has 40 to 70 percent rock fragments with 0 to 40 percent stones, 5 to 30 percent cobbles, and 5 to 35 percent gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Redslide series. Redslide soils are moderately deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gooserock soils are on north slopes of hills. This soil formed in tuffaceous colluvium and residuum from the John Day Formation overlain by reworked loess and ash. Slope is 2 to 90 percent. Elevation is 2,000 to 3,800 feet. The climate is semi-arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry
summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brisbois, Drinkwater and Meadowridge soils. Brisbois soils are on hillsides, clayey family, and are shallow to slightly weathered tuffaceous material. Drinkwater soils are on hillsides, loamy-skeletal, and have an ochric epipedon. Meadowridge soils are on benches, fine-loamy family, and have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, bluegrasses, basin wildrye, basin big sagebrush, and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Oregon, MLRA B-10. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 34 inches (A1, A2, and Bw horizons)
Secondary carbonates - 18 to 62 inches (2Bk1 and 2Bk2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches (lower part of the A2, Bw, and the upper part of the 2Bk1 horizons)
Vitritorrandic feature - The acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half of the acid oxalate iron times 60 plus the glass is 53.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data is available for this soil. Reference sample S98OR-023-001 from Grant County, Oregon, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.