LOCATION KELSIDAR OR
Tentative Series
IRD. KLM/JMM/MPR
02/2025
KELSIDAR SERIES
Landscape--plateaus
Landform--hillslopes, ridgetops
Slope--5 to 80 percent
Parent material--colluvium and residuum derived from conglomerate and sandstones
Mean annual precipitation--280 mm
Mean annual air temperature--9 degrees
Depth class--shallow
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--aridic
Soil temperature regime--mesic
Soil moisture subclass--xeric
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kelsidar gravely sandy loam - rangeland, on a 42 percent south slope at an elevation of 1,130 meters. (When described on January 16, 2013, the soil was slightly moist to 29 cm. Colors are for moist colors unless otherwise stated.)
A-- 0 to 8 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots, few medium roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent rounded and subrounded gravels; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bw1-- 8 to 18 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and few medium roots; few fine and very fine dendritic tubular pores; 65 percent rounded and subrounded gravels; neutral (pH 7.3); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--18 to 29 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine and very fine dendritic tubular pores; 75 percent rounded and subrounded gravels; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary.
Cr--29 to 39 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) weathered sandstone conglomerate; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; massive; moderately cemented; can be dug with a spade; gradual wavy boundary.
R-- 39cm; very strongly cemented sandstone conglomerate.
TYPE LOCATION: Wheeler County, Oregon; located about 8 km north of the town of Mitchell; 640 m south and 490 m west of the northeast corner of section 8, T. 11 S., R. 22 E.; Toney Butte 7.5' USGS Quad; latitude 44.6314790, longitude -120.1092450, WGS84 Datum (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 12 degrees C
Soil moisture: Usually dry in all parts for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius.
Depth to paralithic contact--18 to 33 cm
Depth to lithic contact--21 to 48 cm
Thickness of mollic epipedon--18 to 48 cm
Reaction--neutral or slightly alkaline
Particle Size Control Section
*Clay content--18 to 30 percent
*Total rock fragment content--35 to 75 percent, rounded and subrounded
*Rock fragment type--mixed sedimentary sandstones and conglomerates
A horizon
*Hue--10YR dry or moist
*Value--2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
*Chroma--1 to 3, moist or dry
*Fine earth texture--sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam
*Clay content--15 to 25 percent
*Sand content--40 to 75 percent
*Organic matter content--1 to 3 percent
*Total rock fragments--10 to 60 percent
*Gravel content--10 to 65 percent
*Cobble content--0 to 40 percent
*Thickness--8 to 18 cm
Bw horizons
*Hue--10YR dry or moist
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4, moist or dry
*Fine earth texture--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
*Clay content--15 to 30 percent
*Sand content--40 to 70 percent
*Total rock fragments--40 to 75 percent
*Gravel content--35 to 75 percent
*Cobble content--0 to 25 percent
*Thickness--15 to 35 cm
COMPETING SERIES:
Aldax--averages less than 18 percent clay in PSCS
Bakeoven--less than 25 cm to lithic contact
Borid--averages 10 to 15 percent clay in PSCS
Couleedam--averages 5 to 15 percent clay in PSCS
Cox--averages less than 15 percent clay in PSCS
Hendap--averages 6 to 12 percent clay in PSCS
Lickskillet--have a cambic horizon and lack paralithic contact
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--730 to 1280 m
Climate--cold, moist winters and hot, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation--230 to 300 mm
Mean annual air temperature--8 to 12 degrees C
Frost-free period--80 to 150 days
Lithology--sandstones and conglomerates of the Gable Creek formation. Occasionally may occur with shales associated with the Hudspeth formation
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Tanman--occur on side slopes and base slopes; 50 to 100 cm to bedrock; in complex with Kelsidar
Oldsferry--occur on side slopes and base slopes; 50 to 100 cm to bedrock; xeric soil moisture regime
Tub--occur on side slopes and base slopes; greater than 100cm to volcanic sediments
Sorf--occur on adjacent south slopes; average greater than 35 percent clay; 50 to 100cm to paralithic contact
Lickskillet--occur on side slopes and ridges; 25 to 50 cm to lithic contact (basalts and andesites)
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage--Well drained
Saturation during normal years--none
Flooding--none
Ponding--none
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--livestock grazing, wildlife habitat
Potential native vegetation--bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, basin big sage, antelope bitterbrush, broom snakeweed, western juniper
Typical ecological site--JD Shallow South 9-12 PZ (RO10XB051OR)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon, MLRA 10. These soils are not extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Wheeler County Area, Oregon 2013
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon--0 to 18 cm (A and Bw1 horizons)
Particle-size control section--0 to 29 cm (A and Bw horizons)
Paralithic contact-29 cm (moderately to strongly weathered conglomerate that increases hardness with depth)
Lithic contact--39 cm (very strongly cemented to indurated materials of the Gable Creek conglomerate)
Most pedons have a surface that is littered with varying amounts of rounded quartzite, granodiorite, chert, andesite, and/or basalt gravels and cobbles derived from the Gable Creek formation or shale, mudstone, and/or sandstone channers from the Hudspeth formation.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.