LOCATION HOLMZIE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Holmzie loam - rangeland, on a nearly level volcanic plateau at 3050 feet elevation. (When described (5/23/85), the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent pumice (0.5-2.0 millimeters); 2 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; 23 percent (estimated) clay; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
2Btb--7 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine and coarse and common medium roots; few fine vesicular and medium tubular and common fine irregular pores; 10 percent pumice (0.5-2.0 millimeters); 2 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; common distinct clay films on peds and in pores; 33 percent (estimated) clay; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
3Btb--19 to 29 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) gravelly clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine vesicular and medium tubular and common fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; many prominent clay films on peds and in pores; 45 percent (estimated) clay; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 17 inches thick)
3Cr--29 inches; soft tuff.
TYPE LOCATION: Deschutes County, Oregon; 300 feet east of Holmes Road on jeep trail, southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 23, T. 14 S., R. 11 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 20 minutes, 45 seconds N, Longitude 121 degrees, 23 minutes, 27 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually dry and are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section for 120 to 150 days (cumulative) after the summer solstice. The soil temperature is above 41 degrees F from April through October. The mean annual soil temperature is about 48 to 52 degrees F. Depth to a paralithic bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 12 inches thick and includes part of the argillic horizon. The particle size control section averages 35 to 45 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 2 dry. It contains 0 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles with a total rock fragment content of 5 to 15 percent. It contains 5 to 20 percent glass and glass coated aggregate and acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the iron of 0.2 to 0.4 percent. It is neutral throughout.
The 2Btb horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 3 moist and 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 3 moist and dry. It has 30 to 40 percent clay (estimated). It contains 0 to 15 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles with a total rock fragment content of 5 to 20 percent. It is neutral throughout.
The 3Btb horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 moist and dry and chroma of 3 moist and dry. It has 40 to 50 percent clay (estimated). It contains 10 to 30 percent gravel and 5 to 15 percent cobbles with a total rock fragment content of 15 to 35 percent. It is mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brownscombe, Bucklake, Cagle, Correco, Northmore, Perla, Sherar, Simpson, and Wicup series. Brownscombe soils have developed from granite rock, the Bt horizon contains over 40 percent sand in which over 15 percent is coarse or very coarse sand, texture is clay loam, sandy clay loam or sandy clay. Bucklake and Perla soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact. Cagle soils lack the glass and glass-coated aggregate in the surface and have hue of 7.5YR to 2.5Y in the subsoil. Correco, Northmore, and Simpson soils are over 40 inches deep to bedrock. Sherar soils lack the glass and glass-coated aggregate in the surface layer, have a mean annual soil temperature of 50 to 52 degrees F, and have a frost-free period of 120 to 170 days. Wicup soils have carbonates at 18 to 22 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Holmzie soils are on volcanic uplands at elevations of 2,500 to 4,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The soils formed in weathered ash over residuum. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is Searles soils. Searles soils are on volcanic uplands and are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Potential native vegetation is western juniper, ponderosa pine, antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sagebrush, needleandthread, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Deschutes Basin of central Oregon; MLRA 10. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Deschutes County (Upper Deschutes River Area), Oregon, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in the pedon are:
mollic epipedon - from the soil surface to about 10 inches (A and part of the 2Btb horizon).
argillic horizon - from 7 to 29 inches (2Btb, 3Btb horizons).