LOCATION HOMEFIELD OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Cumulic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Homefield mucky silt loam - on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 4095 feet. (When described on October 30, 1996 the soil was moist from 0 to 50 inches and saturated 50 to 60 inches. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard; very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and many fine roots; many gastropod shells; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
A2--6 to 13 inches; very dark gray (5Y 3/1) mucky silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and common fine roots; many very fine, common fine tubular pores; many gastropod shells; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary.
A3--13 to 25 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky silt loam, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine common fine roots; many very fine, common fine tubular pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron concentrations within peds and adjacent to pores; many gastropod shells; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 20 to 30 inches thick.)
Ak--25 to 36 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) mucky silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, common fine roots; many very fine, common fine tubular pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron concentrations in peds and adjacent to pores; carbonates in white (10YR 8/1) spots; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick.)
Bk--36 to 48 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) mucky silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) iron concentrations adjacent to pores; carbonates in spots; strongly effervescent in spots, strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick.)
2C--48 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common fine faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron concentrations adjacent to pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon, about 4000 feet south, 1900 feet west of the northeast corner section 23 T. 25 S., R. 32 1/2 E. (Latitude 43 degrees, 23 minutes, 26 seconds N, Longitude 118 degrees, 44 minutes, 4 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 30 to 40 inches thick. The soils have aquic conditions to the surface and depth to redox iron concentrations is 6 to 16 inches. Depth to secondary carbonate is 20 to 30 inches. Depth to the clayey substratum is 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The organic matter content throughout the particle-size control section ranges from from 10 to 20 percent and averages 18 to 27 percent clay. The soils are frequently ponded for long or very long duration from March to July. A water table is at 0 to 2.5 feet from January to December. The solum has 1 to 5 percent calcium carbonate throughout.
The A and Ak horizons have hues of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, values of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist. It is moderately to very strongly alkaline. It has 15 to 25 percent field estimated clay.
The Bk horizon has hues of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, values of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. Soil reation is moderately to strongly alkaline. It is mucky silt loam or mucky silty clay loam with 18 to 35 percent field estimated clay.
The 2C horizon has hues of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, values of 7 or 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3, moist and dry. Soil reation is moderately to strongly alkaline. It is clay or silty clay with 1 to 5 percent organic matter and 40 to 60 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bigstone, Halleck, Inkom, Lamoure, Opie, Playmoor and Rauville series. Bigstone soils formed in calcareous glacial till and is slightly or moderately alkaline throughout. Halleck soils are on flood plains and are slightly or moderately alkaline. Inkom soils are on terraces and flood plains and are slightly or moderately alkaline. Lamoure soils formed in glacial material and are slightly or moderately alkaline. Opie and Playmoor soils have less than 10 percent organic matter in the particle-size control section. Rauville soils have calcium carbonate equivalent of 20 to 40 percent and have less than 10 percent organic matter in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Homefield soils are on lakebeds and have slopes of 0 to 1 percent. The soils formed in lacustrine sediments. Elevations are 4090 to 4105 feet. The summer is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Duckclub, Sandgap, and Thenarrows soils. These soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Duckclub and Thenarrows soils are on lake terraces. Sandgap soils are on sand dunes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained, slow permeability. Flooding is rare. Ponding is frequent. A fluctuating water table is present from 0 to 2.5 feet from January to December.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. Potential native vegetation is hardstem bulrush, and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Harney County, Oregon, MLRA 23. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harney County, Oregon, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon - from 0 to 36 inches (A1, A2, A3, Ak horizons)
soil is calcareous from 0 to 48 inches
aquic conditions - 0 to 60 inches