LOCATION LOCOLAKE                OR

Established Series
Rev. CWL-JVC-JBF
12/2022

LOCOLAKE SERIES

The Locolake series consists of shallow to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in loess derived from mixed rocks over residuum derived from basalt. Locolake soils are on plateaus and hills. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Typic Natridurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Locolake extremely cobbly sandy loam--on a north facing slope of 6 percent at an elevation of 1,473 meters--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine vesicular pores; 35 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 or 8 cm thick)

E--5 to 10 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common fine vesicular pores; 8 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

2Btn--10 to 18 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 13 cm thick)

2Btnk--18 to 30 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/3) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; 7 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; secondary carbonates segregated in filaments; slightly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear smooth boundary. (13 to 18 cm thick)

2Bqnk--30 to 48 cm; pink (7.5YR 8/3) extremely gravelly loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; moderate medium platy structure; very hard, very firm and brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 40 percent channers as indurated pan fragments; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine coats on faces of peds and on bottoms of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)

2Bqkm--48 to 58 cm; pink (7.5YR 8/3) duripan, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; strong thick platy structure; rigid; indurated by secondary silica; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine and medium coats on faces of peds; strongly effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

2R--58 cm; hard, unweathered basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; about 4 miles north of Fivemile Point, 1.5 miles southeast of Loco Lake, and 1.1 miles northwest of Southcat waterhole along a jeep trail; approximately 100 feet north and 850 feet east of the southwest corner of section 1, T. 32 S., R. 18 E.; USGS Loco Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 42 degrees 49 minutes 0 seconds N and longitude 120 degrees 32 minutes 26 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section in winter and spring; dry in summer and fall; typic aridic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Abrupt textural change: An abrupt horizon boundary is normally present between the E horizon and the Btn horizon accompanied by an increase in clay content of more than 15 percent.
Depth to base of natric horizon:30 to 50 cm.
Depth to duripan: 36 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 48 to 60 cm to a lithic contact.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 5 to 15 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are basalt.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).

E horizon
Texture: Sandy loam or cobbly fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 16 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline through very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).

2Btn horizon
Texture: Clay loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 32 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.

2Btnk horizon
Texture: Clay loam, sandy clay loam, or cobbly sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 25 percent.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 60.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as few fine coats on rock fragments and faces of peds.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

2Bqnk horizon (when present)
Texture: Extremely gravelly loam or very gravelly loam
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, includes channers which are detached fragments of indurated duripan.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 60.
Secondary silica: Occurs in horizons with a firm, brittle matrix.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: occurs as few fine coats on rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

2Bqkm horizon
Cementation: Very strongly cemented or indurated.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Locolake soils are on plateaus and hills. They typically occur on summit positions. These soils formed in loess derived from mixed rocks over residuum derived from basalt. These soils occur downwind of a salty playa (Summer Lake) and frequently receive new deposits of loess high in sodium salts. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 1,310 to 1,660 meters. The climate is arid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lonegrave, Diablopeak, and Yankeewell soils. Lonegrave soils are loamy-skeletal, moderately deep to lithic contact, have cambic horizons, a mesic temperature regime, and an aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric. Diablopeak soils are clayey and shallow to lithic contacts. Yankeewell soils have an aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Locolake soils are used for livestock grazing. The present vegetation is shadscale, bud sagebrush, black greasewood, spiny hopsage, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County (Northern Part), Oregon, 2006. The name is from a small playa in the area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 10 cm (A and E horizons).
Albic horizon - The zone from 5 to 10 cm (E horizon).
Abrupt textural change - The abrupt clay increase of more than 15 percent at 4 inches (between the E and 2Btn horizons).
Natric horizon - The zone from 10 to 30 cm (2Btn and 2Btnk horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 48 to 58 cm (2Bqkm horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 58 cm to underlying hard bedrock (2R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 30 cm (2Btn and 2Btnk horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.