LOCATION HUTCHINSON OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Hutchinson silt loam, cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
A1--7 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A2--11 to 13 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak thin platy and weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
BA--13 to 21 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--21 to 24 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; common thin clay films; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bt2--24 to 31 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate coarse and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on surfaces of peds and in pores; few fine streaks of lime; 5 percent rounded pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bkqm1--31 to 40 inches; strongly cemented duripan; massive; very hard, very firm; indurated lime and silica laminar capping of surface; 15 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
2Cm2--40 to 60 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) extremely cobbly sandy loam; massive; weakly cemented, hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; 40 percent pebbles and 30 percent cobbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Union County, Oregon; in a ditch bank about 70 feet east of the center of the road in the NW1/4 SW1/4 SW1/4 section 30, T. 6 S., R. 39 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 60 or more consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to the duripan is 20 to 40 inches. Depth to bedrock is 60 inches or more.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It has 0 to 25 percent pebbles.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silty clay loam or clay and averages 35 to 50 percent clay. It has weak to moderate prismatic or moderate to strong subangular blocky structure. Clay films are common thin to continuous thick. The duripan is weakly cemented to strongly cemented and less than one-half of the upper boundary is undurated or has a laminar capping. There are 15 to 35 percent pebbles in this horizon.
The 2C horizon has 30 to 50 percent pebbles and 15 to 40 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bailing and Bedner series. The Bailing soils lack coarse fragments in the duripan and lack any influence from volcanic ash. Bedner soils lack a silt loam layer above the B2t horizon, and 4 to 10 inches deep to the top of the B2t horizon and lack rock fragments throughout the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hutchinson soils are on terraces at elevations of 3,400 to 4,000 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. These soils formed in loess, volcanic ash, colluvium and mixed alluvium. The climate is semiarid with warm dry summers and cool wet winters. The average annual temperature is 12 to 16 inches. The average January temperature is 24 to 28 degrees F. The average July temperature is 66 to 70 degrees F., and the average annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free period is 110 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Baker, Coughanour, Kilmerque and Ladd soils. Baker soils lack an argillic horizon. Coughanour soils have less than 35 percent clay in the control section. Kilmerque soils are medium textured and lack an argillic horizon and a duripan. Ladd soils have a weak argillic horizon and lack a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hutchinson soils are used for hay, small grains, and pasture with steeper slopes mostly in range. Native vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Baker Valley in northeastern Oregon. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker Area, Baker County, Oregon, 1945.
NSTH 17, RECLASSIFICATION ONLY, 3/95