LOCATION HECETA OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, isomesic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Heceta fine sand, open land. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
C--4 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots to a depth of 18 inches; many fine interstitial pores; common fine distinct brown (10YR 4/3) masses of iron accumulations, principally along root channels; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Coos County, Oregon; on north side of the field road west of Wicks house and adjacent to the cranberry bog; 800 feet south and 3,000 feet west of the NE corner of section 15, T. 24 S., R. 13 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is usually moist and is saturated for about 5 to 7 months. It is slightly acid or moderately acid. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature varies from 5 to 9 degrees F under tree and shrub cover.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 2 to 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is single grain or has weak granular structure. In areas having thick stands of plant,s there is a 1/2 to 1 inch 0i horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 5Y to 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3. It has common to many distinct masses of iron accumulations. In some pedons masses of iron are not detectable. Texture is sand, fine sand, or loamy sand. It is single grain or massive.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Heceta soils are in long narrow interdunal swales, depressions, deflation plains and sandy lowlands. They formed in recently stabilized dune sand. Elevation is near sea level to 80 feet. The winters are cool and wet and the summers are cool and moist with many days of fog or low cloud cover. The mean annual precipitation is 60 to 100 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Netarts, Waldport, and Yaquina soils. Netarts and Yaquina soils have a spodic horizon. Waldport soils are well drained. Netarts soils occur on older, stabilized dunes. Yaquina soils occur in older slightly convex interdunal positions and deflation plains. Waldport soils occur on active and recently stabilized sand dunes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; ponded or slow runoff; rapid permeability. The apparent water table is at its uppermost limit from October through May. In a few areas the soil is subject to frequent brief periods of flooding from November through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for wildlife habitat and recreation. Native vegetation is sedges, rushes, water-tolerant grasses, willows, Pacific wax myrtle, salal, and shore pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Oregon coast; MLRA 4A; the series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lane County Area, Oregon, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features include:
Aquic feature - the zone from 4 to 60 inches (C horizon) having hue of 2.5Y, chroma of 2, and distinct redoximorphic concentrations.
Classification revised 5/95 from a mesic soil temperature regime to an isomesic soil temperature regime.