LOCATION MEADOWRIDGE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Meadowridge ashy loam - rangeland, on an 8 percent, northeast-facing slope at an elevation of 3,210 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described on October 29, 1998, this soil was slightly moist to 24 inches and dry below this depth.)
A--0 to 15 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) ashy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2AB--15 to 20 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt--20 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; continuous faint clay films on ped faces; 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick)
2Bk1--28 to 37 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderate sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; carbonates coatings on the underside of rocks; 10 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.
2Bk2--37 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) cobbly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; lime coatings on the underside of rocks; few fine carbonate filaments; strongly effervescent; 15 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Wheeler County, Oregon, located about 1.5 miles NW of the John Day Fossil Beds Visitor's Center (Cant Ranch); 1,000 feet north and 1,000 feet west of the SE corner of section 35, T. 11 S., R. 25 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 34 minutes, and 00 seconds N. and Longitude 119 degrees, 40 minutes, and 38 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are dry in all parts for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. The particle size control section has 27 to 35 percent clay and 15 percent or more than fine sand or coarser. It has 5 to 25 percent rock fragments. Depth to secondary carbonates is 25 to 44 inches.
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 loam or sandy loam with 10 to 20 percent clay and 0 to 10 percent gravel. It has 5 to 20 percent glass with acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the iron of 0.2 to 0.5. The soil reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It has 10 to 30 percent sand-size pumice (ash).
The 2AB horizon has chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is loam or clay loam with 20 to 30 percent clay. It has 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent gravel. The soil reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. It has 5 to 15 percent sand-size pumice (ash).
The 2Bt horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry. It is clay loam, gravelly clay loam or cobbly clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay. It has 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 5 to 15 percent gravel.
The 2Bk horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry. It is clay loam, gravelly clay loam or cobbly clay loam with 30 to 40 percent clay. It has 0 to 15 percent cobbles and 10 to 20 percent gravel. The soil reaction is moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Toler series. Toler soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Meadowridge soils are on benches and north-facing slopes and have slopes of 2 to 60 percent. These soils formed in tuffaceous sediment overlain by loess and ash. Elevation is 2,000 to 3,800 feet. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Diffin, Gooserock, Lickskillet, McCoin, and Searles soils. Diffin soils are on higher north slopes, frigid temperature regimes, and are clayey-skeletal. Gooserock soils are on adjacent north slopes and are loamy-skeletal. McCoin soils are on south slopes and are shallow to a paralithic contact. Lickskillet soils are on south-facing slopes, are loamy-skeletal and shallow to bedrock. Searles soils are similar to Lickskillet but are moderately deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is basin big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Thurbers needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Oregon. This soil is not extensive. MLRA B-10.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 15 inches (A horizons)
Argillic horizon - 20 to 28 inches (2Bt horizon)
Secondary carbonates - 28 to 60 inches
Particle-size control section - 20 to 28 inches (2Bt horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil sample sent to the NSSL in Lincoln, NE. Lab sample is S98OR-069-014 (1-5)