LOCATION HOUSTENADER OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Argiudolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Houstenader gravelly loam - pasture, on a 15 percent east-facing slope at 1700 feet elevation. (When described on August 5, 1986, the soil was dry to a depth of 11 inches and moist below this depth. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1---0 to 5 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2---5 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) gravelly loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; strong medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 10 to 15 inches)
Bt1--11 to 17 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) gravelly silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on ped faces; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--17 to 23 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) gravelly silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary.
Bt3--23 to 28 inches; very dark gray (N 3/0) gravelly silty clay loam, gray (N 5/0) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; many prominent clay films on ped faces and in pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bt4--28 to 40 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) gravelly silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces and in pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon ranges from 29 to 45 inches)
2C--40 to 60 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) very gravelly clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and very fine tubular pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; located about 2,175 feet north and 2,450 feet west of the southeast corner of section 13, T. 39 S., R. 14 W., W.M. (Latitude 42 degrees, 11 minutes, 58 seconds N.; Longitude 124 degrees, 18 minutes, 30 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for less than 45 consecutive days between depths of 4 and 12 inches in the four months following the summer solstice. The particle size control section averages less than 35 percent clay, more than 15 percent (by weight) fine sand and coarser, and 20 to 30 percent rock fragments. Depth to high chroma redox concentrations is 11 to 20 inches. Thickness of the solum is 40 to 60 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches, but in some pedons may range to 45 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 15 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or less moist and dry. It is gravelly loam with 18 to 25 percent clay. It has 10 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. The soil reaction is slightly or moderately acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or neutral, value of 3 through 5 moist, 4 through 6 dry and chroma of 2 or less moist and dry. It is gravelly silty clay loam or gravelly clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay. It has 15 to 20 percent gravel and 5 to 10 percent cobbles. Few fine distinct redox concentrations occur throughout this horizon. The soil reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The 2C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or neutral, value of 3 or 4 moist, 6 dry and chroma of 2 or less moist and dry. It is very gravelly clay or very gravelly silty clay with 40 to 60 percent clay. It has 30 to 40 percent gravel and 10 to 15 percent cobbles. Few fine distinct or prominent redox concentrations occur throughout this horizon. The soil reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Andres, Aztalan, Crane, Darroch, Gilboa, La Hogue, Le Sueur, Marcellon, Mokena, Nachusa, Nenno, Newhaven, Odell, Protivin, Vigar, and Wilmer series. Andres soils have 15 to 40 percent fine sand and coarser and have free carbonates at a depth of 24 to 55 inches. Aztalan soils have a gravel free 2Bt horizon formed from lacustrine material at a depth of 24 to 30 inches and have free carbonates at a depth of 30 to 40 inches. Crane soils have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser and a gravelly 2Bt horizon formed from outwash material. Darroch soils have a solum thickness of 24 to 40 inches and less than 3 percent gravel in the Bt horizon. Gilboa soils have less than 15 percent gravel with more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the PSCS, and a 3Bt horizon with free carbonates. La Hogue, Nachusa, Newhaven, Protivin, and Wilmer soils have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the PSCS. Le Sueur, Marcellon and Mokena soils have more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser with less than 15 percent gravel in the PSCS and free carbonates in the lower subsoil or substratum. Nenno soils have a solum thickness of 12 to 24 inches and an E horizon. Odell soils have a solum thickness of 12 to 40 inches and more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser. Vigar soils have a mollic epipedon 24 to 36 inches thick and more than 15 percent fine sand and coarser in the PSCS.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Houstenader soils occur in open grassland areas on metastable broad ridgetops and side slopes of hills and mountains. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from highly sheared and weathered metasedimentary rock types of the Otter Point Formation. Elevation is 1,000 to 2,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm wet winters and hot moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 90 to 130 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 160 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bravo, Carpenterville, Cassiday, Colepoint, Crutchfield, Fritsland, Grouslous, and Huntley soils. Bravo, Cassiday, Colepoint, Crutchfield, and Fritsland soils occur on broad ridgetops, benches, or side slopes of forested mountains. Bravo, Cassiday, and Crutchfield soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Colepoint and Fritsland soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to bedrock. In addition Fritsland soils have an ochric epipedon. Carpenterville soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock, and clayey-skeletal. Huntley soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock and well drained. Grouslous soils occur on steep side slopes of forested mountains, are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock, and are loamy-skeletal. Carpenterville and Huntley soils occur in open grassland areas on broad ridgetops and side slopes of hills and mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very slow permeability. An apparent high water table fluctuates between depths of 1.0 to 4.0 feet from November to April.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used mainly for pasture, limited homesite development, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Oregon white oak, Douglas fir, tanoak, western swordfern, Pacific poison oak, strawberry, and sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Hills and mountains of coastal southwestern Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Curry County, Oregon, 1995. The source of the name is Houstenader Creek in coastal southwestern Curry County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - from the surface to a depth of 11 inches (A1, A2 horizons). Base saturation by NH4OAC assumed to be more than 50 percent based on partial lab data from Bt horizon beginning at 11 inches.
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 11 to 40 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4 horizons).
Base saturation, by sum of cations, is 80 percent or more throughout the upper 30 inches of the argillic horizon.
Aquic feature - redox concentrations at 11 to 17 inches (Bt1 horizon) which is saturated with water at a time when the soil temperature is above 48 degrees F. A layer below mollic epipedon (Bt1 horizon) also has hue of 2.5Y and chroma of 2.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data available for this soil. Reference sample S86OR-015-001 from Curry County, Oregon sampled by NSSL at Lincoln, Nebraska - 5/87.