LOCATION HUNTROCK OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Huntrock very gravelly ashy silt loam - on a 47 percent convex southeast facing slope - woodland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed pine needles, grass and twigs.
A1--1 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) very gravelly ashy silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and moderately smeary; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary.
A2--4 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very gravelly ashy silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and moderately smeary; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 7 to 11 inches)
AB--8 to 13 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly ashy silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and slightly smeary; common fine and few very fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
2Bwb1--13 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium continuous random tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.
2Bwb2--26 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly clay loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 50 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bwb horizon is 12 to 29 inches thick)
3R--36 inches; argillite.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; 2,400 feet south and 700 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 35, T. 8 S., R. 38 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 50 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47degrees F. Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. Hues are 10YR or 7.5YR. Thickness of the ash mantle is 7 to 14 inches. The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and 60 to 80 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 through 6 dry and chroma of 1 through 3 moist and dry. It has 35 to 50 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. It contains 40 to 60 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate. Acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the iron is 0.40 to 1.0 percent. It is slightly or moderately smeary. The moist bulk density is 0.85 to 0.95 grams per cubic centimeter.
The 2Bwb horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 through 6 moist and dry. It is extremely gravelly clay loam, extremely gravelly silty clay loam, extremely cobbly clay loam, or extremely cobbly silty clay loam. Field estimated clay is 27 to 35 percent. It has 15 to 60 percent gravel and 5 to 50 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Jumpe, Seeburg and Thout series. The Jumpe and Seeburg soils are very deep. The Thout soils have 5 to 20 percent volcanic glass in the upper 7 to 14 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Huntrock soils are on moderately steep to steep south side slopes of mountains. Elevation is 3,800 to 7,200 feet. Slopes are 12 to 75 percent. The soil is formed in colluvium derived dominantly from argillite with an influence of volcanic ash in the surface. The climate is characterized by cold wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 30 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 45 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crackler, Rouen, Stices and competing Highhorn series. Crackler, Rouen and Stices soils have a volcanic ash mantle over 14 inches thick and are on adjacent northslopes. Rouen soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate in the surface horizons and moderately slow in the subsoil.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and grand fir with an understory of pinegrass and elk sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon; MLRA 43. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon, 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 1 to 13 inches (A1, A2, AB horizons).
Vitrandic feature - from 1 to 13 inches (A1, A2, AB horizons).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 13 to 36 inches (2Bwb1, 2Bwb2 horizons).