LOCATION HAYSTACK OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Haystack loam - rangeland, on a 7 percent slope at 3100 feet elevation.(When described (7/20/88), the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 4 to 18 inches)
AB--6 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and many fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--11 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and many fine vesicular pores; 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--17 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw is 0 to 20 inches)
C--26 to 40 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Ck--40 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; 5 percent secondary lime nodules and coatings on gravels; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (ph 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Deschutes County, Oregon; 200 feet west and 300 feet north of the southeast corner of the northwest quarter, section 26, T. 13 S., R. 13 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 24 minutes, 45 seconds N, Longitude 121 degrees, 8 minutes, 19 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to secondary lime is 30 to 44 inches. The solum is 18 to 40 inches thick. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 18 inches thick. The soils are usually dry and are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section for 120 to 150 days (cumulative). The mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 54 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 50 to 70 percent coarse fragments, primarily gravel and 15 to 25 percent clay.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Clay content ranges from 15 to 25 percent. It contains 0 to 50 percent gravel, cobbles and stones. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is very gravelly and extremely gravelly loam or very gravelly clay loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 30 percent. It contains 35 to 55 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles. Total rock fragments range from 35 to 70 percent. It is neutral to slightly alkaline.
The C horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It has 40 to 60 percent gravel, 10 to 30 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones. Total rock fragments range from 60 to 80 percent. Secondary lime appears as seams and nodules or as coatings on coarse fragments. It is slightly to moderately alkaline throughout. The upper part is loamy sand or sandy loam with 5 to 15 percent clay and the lower part is loamy sand or loamy coarse sand with 5 to 10 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Heytou, Nighthawk, Olex, Peshastin, and Redcanyon series. Heytou soils formed in glacial till, have very stony, extremely stony or extremely cobbly surface layers and are moderately or strongly alkaline is the substratum; in addition depth to carbonates is 20 to 36 inches. Nighthawk soils contain 5 to 60 percent rock fragments in the soil and average 35 to 50 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section; in addition the solum is 18 to 26 inches thick. Olex soils have a 12 to 25 inch thick silt loam loess mantle over the skeletal discontinuity. Pehastin soils have carbonates at 15 to 27 inches. Redcanyon soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Haystack soils are on alluvial fans. These soils formed in colluvium. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1,350 to 3,800 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Era, Lickskillet, Redcliff, Schrier, and Tub soils. Era soils are on alluvial fans and are nonskeletal. Lickskillet soils are on adjacent south-facing uplands and are shallow to bedrock. The Redcliff soils are on adjacent south-facing uplands and are moderately deep to bedrock. Schrier soils are on adjacent north-facing uplands and have silt loam textures. The Tub soils are on adjacent north-facing uplands and have clay loam and clay textures.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Thurber's needlegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon; MLRA 10. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County (Upper Deschutes River Area), Oregon, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon:
mollic epipedon - from the surface to 11 inches (A1, A2, AB horizons)
cambic horizon - from 11 to 26 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons)
soft, secondary carbonates - from 40 to 60 inches (Ck horizon)
particle-size control section averages 60 percent rock fragments and 18 percent clay.