LOCATION LICKSKILLET             OR+ID+WA

Established Series
Rev. AON/TDT/RWL
09/2010

LICKSKILLET SERIES


The Lickskillet series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in stony colluvium consisting of loess, rock fragments and residuum weathered from basalt and rhyolite. Lickskillet soils are on uplands and have slopes of 0 to 120 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 12 inches, and the mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Lickskillet very stony loam - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent basalt gravel; 10 percent cobbles and 20 percent stones on surface; neutral (pH 6.9); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

BA--4 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak and moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent basalt gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bw1--9 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent basalt gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

Bw2--13 to 19 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 40 percent basalt gravel and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 10 inches thick)

2R--19 inches; basalt

TYPE LOCATION: Sherman County, Oregon; about 200 feet downslope from road in the NE1/4SW1/4NW1/4 sec. 6, T. 4 S., R. 15 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F; dry for minimum of 90 consecutive days. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. Thickness of solum and depth to bedrock is 12 to 20 inches. Some pedons have free carbonates in coatings on the lower sides of rock fragments and extending into cracks in the underlying rock. The solum has 10YR or 7.5YR hue.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loam, sandy loam, and silt loam. Rock fragment content is 5 to 70 percent and are dominantly stones and cobbles. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 2 percent. Combined thickness of the A and BA horizons, or AB horizon when present, is 7 to 15 inches. Reaction is slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry and 3 to 5 moist and chroma is 2 to 4 dry or moist. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is loam, silt loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam and averages more than 18 percent clay and 35 to 85 percent rock fragments dominantly cobbles and gravel. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
Some pedons have a Bk horizon or a thin Btk or Bt horizon with clay films on some rock fragments, in pores and extending into fractures in the bedrock.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aldax, Bakeoven, Bodacious, Bodell, Couleedam, Hendap, Johntom, Limekiln, Oakside, Plaskett, Rockly, Sanikara (T), and Venator series.
Aldax soils particle-size control section with less than 18 percent clay
Bakeoven soils 4 to 10 inches to a lithic contact (basalt)
Bodacious soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Bodell soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; 10 to 30 percent volcanic glass in the upper 4 to 6 inches
Couleedam soils particle-size control section with less than 18 percent clay and 35 to 60 percent rock fragments of granitic origin
Hendap soils particle-size control section with less than 18 percent clay and 40 to 70 percent rock fragments of granitic origin; calcium carbonate equivalent ranging from 1 to 10 percent throughout
Johntom soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; particle-size control section of less than 18 percent clay and 5 o 20 percent volcanic glass
Limekiln soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; depth to a calcic horizon is 7 to 12 inches
Oakside soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; mean annual soil temperature of 52 to 59 degrees F.; particle-size control section dominated by channer shaped rock fragments of phyllite or schist origin; organic horizon present in most pedons
Plaskett soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; mean annual soil temperature of 55 to 58 degrees F.; organic horizon present in most pedons; 6 to 20 inches to a lithic contact (sandstone)
Rockly soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Sanikara soils these soils cannot be competed as the OSD is not in the database
Venator soils dry for less than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; 12 to 20 inches to a lithic contact (shale); particle-size control section has 40 to 80 percent rock fragments dominated by channer shaped rock fragments of shale origin

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Lickskillet soils are typically on south-facing canyon and mountain side slopes at elevations of 200 to 4,500 feet. In eastern and northcentral Washington, it is on benches, shoulders of plateaus, canyon side slopes, hills, and ridgetops. Slope gradients are commonly 40 to 70 percent and range from about 0 to 120 percent. The soils formed in shallow stony colluvium mixed with loess and rock fragments weathered from the underlying basalt or rhyolite. Some pedons in north-central Washington, have minor amounts of glacial till mixed into the soil profile. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is typically 9 to 14 inches but ranges up to 20 inches on south slopes in MLRA 43c. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F, mean winter temperature is 31 to 35 degrees F, and mean summer temperature is 62 to 66 degrees F. The frost-free period is 80 to 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bakeoven soils and the Cantala, Condon, Curant, Gem, Morrow, Redcliff, Ruckles, Starbuck, Walla Walla and Wrentham soils. Bakeoven soils are on benches, hills, plateaus, and canyon slopes. Cantala and Condon soils are fine-silty and are on plateaus. Currant soils are fine-silty and are on hillslopes. Gem soils are fine family and on uplands. Morrow soils are fine-silty and on plateaus. Redcliff soils are moderately deep to bedrock and are on hills. Ruckles soils are clayey-skeletal and are on hills and canyon slopes. Starbuck soils are loamy and are on hillslopes and benches. Walla Walla soils are coarse-silty and are on hills. Wrentham soils are moderately deep and are on north-facing canyon slopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are dominately used for livestock grazing. Other uses include watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Thurber needlegrass, western yarrow, and Wyoming big sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Oregon, eastern and northcentral Washington and southern Idaho; MLRA 6, 8, 10, and 43c. The series is extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sherman County, Oregon; 1961.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - from the surface to 9 inches (A and BA horizons).
Cambic horizon - from 9 to 19 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).
Lithic contact - 19 inches
PSCS - from 10 to 19 inches
Aridic soil moisture regime


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.