LOCATION HIGHCAMP OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, amorphic Typic Haplocryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Highcamp very gravelly loam, on a 40 percent north facing slope in an old clear cut. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--2 inches to 0; partially decomposed leaves, needles and twigs.
A--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many irregular pores; many fine concretions; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
AB--8 to 17 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very cobbly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 25 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--17 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--27 to 39 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; 40 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 15 to 35 inches)
C--39 to 45 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular pores; 75 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
R--45 inches; fractured andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Clackamas County, Oregon; about 2 miles southwest of Highcamp Lookout; in the NE1/4SE1/4SW1/4, section 36, T. 6 S., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is usually moist but is dry for less than 45 consecutive days during the summer between depths of 8 and 24 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 46 degrees F. and the mean summer soil temperature is less than 47 degrees F. where the soil has an 0 horizon. Depth to fractured bedrock is 40 to 60 inches. Clay content is 10 to 18 percent throughout the soil. The solum is 20 to 40 inches thick. The fine-earth fraction of the particle-size control section contains greater than 85 percent phosphate retention, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of more than 2.0 percent, and 15 to 30 percent 15-bar moisture based on an air-dried sample. Moist bulk density is 0.85 to 0.90 grams per cubic centimeter.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Rock fragments range from 20 to 30 percent gravel and 10 to 25 percent cobbles.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is very cobbly loam, very cobbly silt loam or very gravelly loam. Rock fragments range from 20 to 40 percent cobbles and 15 to 30 percent gravel.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It is extremely cobbly loam, very cobbly silt loam or very cobbly loam. Rock fragments range from 50 to 75 percent cobbles and 5 to 15 percent gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Divers, Holderman, Kinzel, and Valsetz series. Divers soils are greater than 60 inches to bedrock. Holderman and Valsetz soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Kinzel soils are greater than 60 inches to bedrock and have umbric epipedons 10 to 18 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Highcamp soils are on mountains at elevations of 2,800 to 4,800 feet. Slopes are 5 to 90 percent. The soils formed in mixed volcanic ash and colluvium weathered from andesite and basalt. The climate is characterized by cold wet winters and cool moist summers. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F., the mean annual precipitation is 65 to 100 inches. The frost-free period is 30 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are ths Soosap, and the competing Divers and Kinzel series. Soosap soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments and have an umbric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Highcamp soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation is western hemlock, noble fir, Douglas fir, Pacific rhododendron, common beargrass, tall blue huckleberry, red huckleberry, western swordfern, and brackenfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northwestern Oregonl; MLRA 3. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clackamas County, Oregon, 1982.
REMARKS: This draft reflects a change in classification from Medial-skeletal Andic Cryochrepts based on the Andisol Order.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 17 inches (A and AB horizon)
Cambic horizon - from 17 to 39 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 0 to 40 inches (A, AB, Bw1, and Bw2 horizons and upper 1 inch of the C horizon) with a weighted average of 50 percent rock fragments.
Andic properties - from 0 to 45 inches.