LOCATION LUCKYBUTTE ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Aquandic Cryaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Luckybutte mucky silt loam, on a 2 percent slope, meadow. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) mucky silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots, many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary.(4 to 7 inches thick)
A2--5 to 23 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) ashy sandy loam, dark gray (5Y 4/1) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots, few medium; common very fine interstitial pores; common fine and medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redox concentrations; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary.(10 to 20 inches thick)
A3--23 to 34 inches; black (10YR 2/1) ashy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots, few fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary.(6 to 13 inches thick)
2C--34 to 60 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) extremely gravelly loamy sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Crook County, Oregon; on Wolf Creek north of Cadle Butte, about 1,600 feet south and 1,500 feet east of the NW corner of section 19, T.14 S, R.19 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 46 degrees F. and the mean summer temperature is less than 55 degrees F. The soil is saturated throughout for most of the year. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to the 2C horizon and thickness of the mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches. The upper part of the particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay and lower part has 0 to 5 percent clay.
The A1 horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. Organic matter content is 10 to 20 percent. It contains 0 to 15 percent gravel.
The A2 and A3 horizons has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is ashy loam, ashy sandy loam or ashy clay loam with 0 to 10 percent gravel and 15 to 30 percent clay. It has 10 to 30 percent glass. Acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the iron is 0.3 to 0.7.
The 2C horizon has value 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry and chroma of 1 through 3 moist and dry. It is loamy sand or sand and contains 40 to 70 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Luckybutte soils are on stream terraces and flood plains at elevations of 3,600 to 5,800 feet. These soils formed in mixed alluvium and volcanic ash. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 22 inches, the mean annual temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F, and the frost-free period is 10 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Damon, Gerow, Hankins, Breeseranch, Pilotbutte and Yawkey soils. Gerow soils are fine-loamy and somewhat poorly drained. Hankins soils are fine and are on adjacent south-facing sideslopes. Breeseranch soils are ashy over clayey-skeletal and are on adjacent north-facing sideslopes. Pilotbutte soils are ashy and are on adjacent north-facing sideslopes. Yawkey soils are clayey-skeletal and are on adjacent south-facing sideslopes. Damon soils are fine-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; permeability is moderate over rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used mainly for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is sedges, rushes, willow and alder.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon. MLRA 10. This series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Crook County, Oregon, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 34 inches, dark colors in the 2C horizon are from basaltic sands.
Aquic feature - redox concentrations in the zone from 5 to 23 inches (A2 horizon).
The ashy material in the A2 and A3 horizons are reworked alluvium from Mt. Mazama.