LOCATION KIRKENDALL OR

Established Series
Rev. MSA/TDT/MHF/RWL
06/2011

KIRKENDALL SERIES

The Kirkendall series consists of very deep, well or moderately well drained soils formed in silty alluvium derived from volcanic and sedimentary rock types. They are occur on flood plains at elevations of 20 to 750 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 80 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Humudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Kirkendall silt loam - on a planar slope of 2 percent under pasture at 35 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 17 inches thick)

Bw1--7 to 16 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to weak coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--16 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 14 to 32 inches.)

BC--26 to 42 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few faint brown (10YR 5/3) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)

C--42 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; common fine and medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Coos County, Oregon; about 0.5 mile northeast of Coquille; 250 feet south and 2,000 feet east of the NW corner, section 31, T. 27 S., R. 12 W.; Coquille, OR 7.5 minute USGS Quad, NAD 1927.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 54 degrees F. The soil is usually moist but is dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches for a period of less than 45 consecutive days between depths of 4 and 12 inches in the four month period following during the summer solstice in most years. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. Faint redox concentrations occur below a depth of 20 inches in some pedons with common to many distinct redox concentrations typically found below 40 inches. Depth to bedrock is more than 60 inches. Lenses of coarser textured material are in some pedons. Hue is 10YR to 7.5YR. The particle-size control section has 15 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand. Soil reaction is very strongly acid to slightly acid throughout.

The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is silt loam with 15 to 25 percent clay.

The AB horizon, when present, has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 2 to 4 dry. It is silt loam or silty clay loam with 20 to 30 percent clay.

The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It has with 20 to 35 percent clay.

The C horizon has value of 4 orto 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is commonly silt loam, but ranges to loam and silty clay loam. It has 15 to 35 percent clay.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Knappa and Nehalem are similar. Knappa and Nehalem soils have an isomesic soil temperature regime.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kirkendall soils are occur on flood plains at elevations of 15 to 750 feet. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in medium and moderately fine textured mixed silty alluvium derived from volcanic and sedimentary rock types. The climate is characterized by warm, wet winters and hot, moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 60 to 100 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 140 to 220 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eilertsen, Nekoma, Quosatana, Treharne, Wasson, and Zyzzug soils. Nekoma, and Quosatana, and Wasson soils are on flood plains. Eilertsen, Treharne, and Zyzzug soils are on low stream terraces. Eilertsen soils have an argillic horizon and are well drained. Nekoma soils are coarse-loamy. Quosatana, Wasson, and Zyzzug soils have an aquic moisture regime and are poorly drained. Treharne soils have an argillic horizon and are moderately well drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well or moderately well drained; moderately slow permeability. These soils are subject to occasional periods of flooding for brief periods from November through April. A seasonal water table is as high as a depth of 2.5 feet to 4 feet from the soil surface at its uppermost limit from November through April.

USE AND VEGETATION: Kirkendall soils are used for hay and pasture. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, red alder, Oregon myrtle, evergreen huckleberry, cascade Oregongrape, western swordfern, and grasses. In addition, tanoak and California laurel occur in the interior mountains of Curry County, Oregon.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Flood plains along river valleys in the Coast Range Mountains in of western Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coos County, Oregon, 1983.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features of this pedon include:

Umbric epipedon - from surface to 16 inches (Ap and Bw1 horizons)
Cambic horizon - from 16 to 26 inches (Bw2 horizon)
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches
Oxyaquic feature - Faint redox concentrations occur at a depth of 26 inches (BC horizon), indicating the presence of a fluctuating water table which saturates this horizon and those below for more than 20 consecutive days or 30 cumulative days.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.