LOCATION KANUTCHAN OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Xeric Endoaquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kanutchan clay - on a 1 percent slope in a meadow at 4,520 feet elevation. (When described, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for a moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; strong very fine subangular blocky and fine granular structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--5 to 10 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak medium prismatic parting to strong fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
A3--10 to 20 inches; black (N 2/) clay, very dark gray (N 3/) dry; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few pressure faces; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
AC--20 to 32 inches; black (N 2/) and very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay, very dark gray (N 3/) and dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) dry; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few intersecting slickensides; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
C--32 to 46 inches; very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay, dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) dry; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common intersecting slickensides; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2R--46 inches; gabbro.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Oregon; about 3/4 mile northeast of Shale City approximately 2,700 feet east and 2,850 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 10, T. 38 S., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. These soils are saturated with water for several months each year but are usually dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 60 consecutive days or more during the 90 days after the summer solstice. The soils crack open and close once in most years. Chroma is 1 or less throughout the solum. The particle-size control section averages 45 to 60 percent clay and averages 0 to 15 percent rock fragments, of which 0 to 10 percent are gravel and 0 to 5 percent are cobbles.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or is neutral, value of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or less. It is moderately or slightly acid. It has 4 to 8 percent organic matter.
The AC and C horizons are neutral or have hue of 2.5Y through 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist and 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or less. Rock fragments average 0 to 15 percent of which 0 to 10 percent are gravel and 0 to 5 percent are cobbles. It is slightly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kanutchan series consists of deep, somewhat poorly drained soils in upland drainage basins. These soil formed in alluvium and colluvium from tuffs, breccias, and andesite. Elevation is 3,600 to 5,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is about 25 to 50 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F, and the frost-free period is less than 100 days. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bybee and Tatouche soils. These soils do not crack to the surface and lack intersecting slickensides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; very slow permeability. A water table is at 0 to 1.5 feet from December to May.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for hay production, grazing, wildlife and water supply. Native vegetation is tufted hairgrass, meadow barley, rushes and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Cascades of southwestern Oregon. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County Area, Oregon, 1988.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Oregon Soil Characterization Laboratory. OSU. 571-Oreg-15-3-(1-5)
NSTH 17, RECLASSIFICATION ONLY, 3/95