LOCATION MCBAIN OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Sodic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Mcbain silt loam, on a nonaspect, convex, 1 percent slope in rangeland at an elevation of 4110 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime on faces of peds; SAR 125, EC 30,calcium carbonate 13; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. ( 3 to 7 inches thick)
Bk1--5 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent with disseminated lime on faces of peds; SAR 50, EC 9, calcium carbonate 23;strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); diffuse wavy boundary. ( 5 to 8 inches thick)
Bk2--11 to 22 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent with disseminated lime on faces of peds; SAR 14, EC 8, calcium carbonate 25; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. ( 7 to 13 inches thick)
Bk3--22 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent with disseminated lime on faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
BC1--27 to 37 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent with disseminated lime on faces of peds; SAR 5, EC 3, calcium carbonate trace; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. ( 7 to 12 inches thick)
BC2--37 to 43 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent with disseminated lime on faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. ( 4 to 7 inches thick)
C--43 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, yellowish brown (10Y 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent with disseminated lime on faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon; about 3 miles south of the Malheur Field Station on the Center Patrol Road; about 1490 feet west and 750 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 28, T. 27 S., R. 31 E.; Coyote Buttes quadrangle; lat. 43 degrees 12 minutes 7 seconds N. and long. 118 degrees 53 minutes 16 seconds W., NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. A seasonal high water table is at 2.5 to 5.0 feet from April to May. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay. Depth to the calcic horizon (Bk) is 3 to 7 inches.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is strongly to very strongly alkaline. SAR is 50 to 125. EC is 16 to 30 mmhos. It has 10 to 15 percent calcium carbonate.
The Bk horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is stratified layers of clay loam and loam with 18 to 35 percent clay. It is moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline. SAR is 13 to 50. EC is 5 to 10 mmhos. It has 15 to 30 percent calcium carbonate.
The BC and C horizons have value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is stratified layers of loam, clay loam, sandy loam and very fine sandy loam, with 10 to 30 percent clay. SAR is 0 to 5. EC is 0 to 5 mmhos. It has 0 to 1 percent calcium carbonate.
COMPETING SERIES. There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mcbain soils are on lake terraces adjacent to streams in closed basins. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in lacustrine sediments with an admixture of recent alluvium. Elevation is 4,100 to 4,200 feet. The climate is characterized by cold moist winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. The frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ausmus, Skidoosprings, Doubleo, Fury, Housefield, and Skunkfarm soils. The Ausmus soils are on lower adjacent convex areas and have a natric horizon. The Skidoosprings soils are on lower adjacent convex areas and have a duripan below 40 inches. The Doubleo, Fury, Housefield and Skunkfarm soils are on adjacent lower stream terraces with aquic conditions and are nonsaline and nonsodic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately slow permeability. A seasonal high watertable is at a depth of 2.5 feet below the soil surface to 5 feet below the soil surface during April and May.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is basin big sagebrush, basin wildrye, and black greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Basins in southeastern Oregon; MLRA 24, 23. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harney County, Oregon; 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
- Ochric epipedon
- Calcic horizon: from a depth of 5 to 27 inches (Bk1, Bk2 and Bk3 horizons).
- Sodic: SAR of greater than 13 from 0 to 27 inches; below 27 inches SAR is less than 13.
- Watertable is present at 2.5 to 5.0 feet from April to May. It is below 40 inches (1 meter) a majority of the time; not above 1 meter for 1 month or more
- Aridic/Xeric: The SMCS is dry for one-half to three-forths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.
- Particle-size control section: 10 to 40 inches averages 20 percent clay at type location.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial reference samples from pedon S95OR-025-002 from Harney County, Oregon, samples by NSSL, Lincoln, NE, 8/95.