LOCATION HOWASH OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, glassy, frigid Humic Udivitrands
TYPICAL PEDON: Howash very gravelly sandy loam - on a 45 percent north facing slope, woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi-- 2 inches to 0; organic layer of needles and twigs
A1-- 0 to 5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky parting to weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary.
A2-- 5 to 14 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon is 6 to 15 inches)
Bw1-- 14 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2-- 22 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry, weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bw3-- 32 to 48 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very cobbly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 24 to 40 inches)
C-- 48 to 60 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely cobbly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel, 50 percent cobbles and 20 percent soft andesite fragments; strongly acid (pH 5.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Wasco County, Oregon: 2600 feet west and 600 feet south of the NE corner of section 13, T.6 S., R.9 E. (Warm Springs Indian Reservation); Latitude 45 degrees, 03 minutes, 10 seconds N; Longitude 121 degrees, 36 minutes, 44 seconds W.
RANGE OF CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist and are not dry in all parts of the moisture control section for as long as 45 consecutive days in the four months that follow the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 44 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Phosphate retention is 60 to 80 percent and acid oxalate aluminum plus 1/2 iron is between 0.40 and 2.0 percent in the less than 2.0 mm fraction. There is 30 to 50 percent volcanic glass and glass aggregate in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction. The 15-bar moisture is 5 to 15 percent on air dried samples. The particle-size control section has 10 to 18 percent clay and 35 to 55 percent rock fragments. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 15 inches thick. Howash soils have a moist bulk density of 0.80 to 0.90 g/cc throughout. It is moderately to strongly acid.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is very gravelly, very cobbly, or very stony sandy loam. It has 10 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, and 0 to 30 percent stones.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is loam or sandy loam with 15 to 40 percent gravel, 10 to 50 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
The C horizon is loam, sandy loam, or loamy sand with 30 to 50 percent cobbles, 15 to 25 percent gravel, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Dorb soil. Dorb soils have an ochric epipedon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Howash soils are on strongly sloping to very steep side slopes of mountains. Elevation ranges from 3400 to 5600 feet. Slopes are 12 to 65 percent. The soil formed in residuum and colluvium derived dominantly from andesite with an influence of volcanic ash. The climate is characterized by cool and wet winters and warm and moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 90 inches. The mean annual temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F. The frost-free period is 30 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kutcher, Mackatie, and Pipp soils. Kutcher soils are well drained, moderately deep and are on adjacent side slopes. Mackatie soils are ashy over loamy, well drained, deep to bedrock and are on adjacent side slopes. Pipp soils are on side slopes of mountains and are deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained. Permeability is moderately rapid and rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is silver fir, Douglas fir, grand fir, western hemlock, and western larch with an understory of queencup beadlily, vine maple, common snowberry, pachystima, strawberry and pine grass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Oregon; MLRA A. The soils of this series are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wasco County (Warm Springs Indian Reservation), Oregon, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - from the surface of the soil to a depth of 14 inches (A1, A2 horizons).
Cambic horizon - from 14 to 48 inches (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3 horizons).
Andic properties - from the surface to 60 inches.
Particle-size control section - from the surface to 40 inches (A1, A2, Bw1, Bw2, Bw3 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA:Howash reference sample # S90 OR 031-005, pedon # 90P358 sampled by NSSL, Lincoln, NE 6/90.