LOCATION KEATING OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Keating silt loam, on a 5 percent convex
east facing slope; cropland. (Colors are for moist soils
unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam,
dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular
structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly
plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine continuous
vertical tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth
boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
2BA--8 to 12 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam,
brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky
structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very
fine roots; many very fine continuous vertical tubular
pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6
inches thick)
2Bt1--12 to 17 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) clay loam,
brown (10YR 4/3) dry, moderate fine subangular blocky
structure; hard, firm sticky and plastic; few fine roots;
many very fine continuous vertical tubular pores; common
moderately thick clay films on face of peds and in pores;
neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches
thick)
2Bt2--17 to 22 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4)
clay, dark brown (10 YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine subangular
blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic;
few fine roots; many very fine continuous pores; common
moderately thick clay films on face of peds and in pores;
neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches
thick)
3R--22 inches; fractured greenstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; 1,000 feet west and
400 feet south of NE corner of sec. 24, T. 7 S., R. 41 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist but
are dry in all parts between 4 to 12 inches for 60 to 80
consecutive days or more during summer. The mean annual
soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is
20 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 15 inches
thick. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and
chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry.
The 2BA horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and
chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is clay loam or silty
clay loam. It has 0 to 5 percent gravel.
The 2Bt horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry and
chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is clay loam, silty clay
loam, silty clay or clay, with 35 to 50 percent clay. It
has 0 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Daphendale and
Ramo series. Daphendale soils have a paralithic contact at 25 to 40
inches. Ramo soils are deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Keating soils are on hills, with
elevations of 2,700 to 4,000 feet. Slopes are 2 to 35
percent. The soil is formed in colluvium derived dominantly
from greenstone with an influence of loess and volcanic ash
in the surface. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18
inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F.
The frost-free period is 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Clovercreek,
Ridley and
Virtue series. Clovercreek soils are shallow and loamy-skeletal. Ridley soils are deep. The Virtue soils
are moderately deep to a duripan and are located on adjacent terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is moderate in the surface horizons and slow in
the subsoil.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland,
small grain and irrigated hay and pasture. The native
vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and big
sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Oregon. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon, 1942.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in the pedon are:
Mollic epipedon, the zone from the surface of the soil to a
depth of approximately 12 inches (Ap, 2BA horizons).
Argillic horizon, the zone from approximately 12 to 22
inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2 horizons).