LOCATION GOSNEY             OR
Established Series
Rev. WMF/TDT
07/2003

GOSNEY SERIES


The Gosney series consists of shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils on lava plains. They formed in ash. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 11 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, nonacid, mesic Lithic Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Gosney stony ashy loamy sand - rangeland, on a nearly level slope at 3500 feet elevation. (When described (7/86), the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony ashy loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--2 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon 2 to 8 inches)

AC--4 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)

C--8 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

2R--14 inches; basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Deschutes County, Oregon; at the northwest corner of the intersection of highway 20 and Gosney Road, NW1/4, NE1/4, section 5, T. 18 S., R. 13 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 3 minutes, 00 seconds N, Longitude 121 degrees, 11 minutes, 30 seconds W)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is usually dry and is dry in all parts for 120 to 150 days (cumulative). The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. Depth to bedrock ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The pumice content (0.5 to 2.0 mm.) of the soil ranges from 20 to 60 percent. The soil has a field estimated clay content of 0 to 5 percent. It has throughout a phosphate retention of 15 to 25 percent, acid oxalate aluminum plus one half of the acid oxalate iron of 0.4 to 0.7 percent, and glass plus glass coated aggregate of 30 to 60 percent, and 15-bar water content of 5 to 7 percent on dried samples.

The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 2 moist with chroma of 2 or 3 dry and 1 through 3 moist. It has 5 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 5 to 20 percent stones. Total rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 45 percent. It has 0.5 to 1.0 percent organic matter.

The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, and 3 or 4 moist. It is loamy sand and gravelly loamy sand. It has 5 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. Total rock fragment content ranges from 10 to 30 percent. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.

The 2R is massive flow basalt which cannot be broken without blasting.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Cashbaugh (T) series. Cashbaugh soils have hard sandstone bedrock and are slightly acid or neutral.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gosney soils are on convex blisters on lava plains at elevations of 3000 to 4000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in ash. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Clovkamp and Deskamp soils. Clovkamp soils are in depressions and swales and are greater than 60 inches to bedrock. Deskamp soils are on lava plains and are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for crop and pasture production, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Potential vegetation consists of western juniper, mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and Thurber needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Deschutes Basin of central Oregon; MLRA 10. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deschutes County (Upper Deschutes River Area), Oregon, 1992.

REMARKS: This draft represents a change in classification from mixed, mesic Lithic Torripsamments to Ashy, mesic Lithic Torripsamments to reflect andic soil properties analysis.

ochric epipedon - mollic colors are present from 0 to 8 inches, but organic matter content is less than 1 percent.

ashy family - based on laboratory data, glass content is 33 percent in the A1 and A2 horizons and 36 percent in the AC and C horizons.

andic soil properties are not present, P-retention is less than 25 percent throughout.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL data S89OR-017-011 for andic soil properties analysis from type location.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.