LOCATION MOUNTEMILY OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy-skeletal, amorphic over isotic Typic Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Mountemily ashy silt loam - woodland, on a 43 percent convex north-facing slope at an elevation of 5,740 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles, grass and twigs.
A--2 to 8 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) ashy silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 3 percent fine gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches)
Bw--8 to 22 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 16 inches)
2Ab--22 to 32 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, and few fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
2Bwb1--32 to 40 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 40 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 3 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.6) gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
2Bwb2--40 to 63 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very cobbly silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Union County, Oregon, about 2,011 feet north and 2,388 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 32, T. 4 S., R. 36 E. (Latitude 45 degrees, 10 minutes, 20 seconds N, Longitude 118 degrees, 19 minutes, 46 seconds W).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - usually moist but are dry for 30 to 45 consecutive days
Mean annual soil temperature - 37 to 41 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature - 44 to 49 degrees F
Mean winter soil temperature - 32 to 36 degrees F
Upper part of the particle-size control section - 5 to 10 percent clay (apparent field texture) and 0 to 20 percent rock fragments
Lower part of the particle-size control section - 18 to 30 percent clay with 35 to 75 percent rock fragments
Depth to bedrock - greater than 60 inches
Solum thickness - greater than 60 inches
Volcanic ash mantle - 14 to 22 inches thick
Particles of 0.02 to 2.0 mm - 65 to 75 percent
Organic matter - 1 to 4 percent
Acid-oxalate A1 plus 1/2 Fe - 1.5 to 3.5 percent
Phosphate retention - 60 to 90 percent
Glass content - 60 to 90 percent
15-bar water retention on air dried sample - 5 to 12 percent
A horizon
Hue - 10YR
Value - 3 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 2 to 4 moist or dry
Texture - ashy SIL, CB-ashy SIL
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent total with 0 to 5 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles
Clay - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.0
Bw horizon
Hue - 10YR
Value - 3 to 5 moist, 5 to 8 dry
Chroma - 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Texture - ashy SIL, GR-ashy SIL, CB-ashy SIL, ST-ashy SIL
Rock fragments - 0 to 20 percent total with 0 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones
Clay - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.5
Base saturation (sum of cations) - 10 to 20 percent
2Ab horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value -3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
Chroma - 2 to 4 moist or dry
Texture - GRV-L, CBV-L, GRV-SIL, CBV-SIL, CBX-SIL, STV-L
Rock fragments - 40 to 70 percent total with 15 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 40 percent stones
Clay - 20 to 25 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.5
Base saturation (sum of cations) - 50 to 70 percent
2Bwb horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 to 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma - 2 to 4 moist or dry
Texture - CBV-L, GRV-SIL, GRV-L, CBX-SIL, GRV-SICL
Rock fragments - 35 to 75 percent total with 15 to 40 percent gravel, 10 to 40 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones
Clay - 20 to 30 percent
Reaction - 5.6 to 6.5
Base saturation (sum of cations) - 60 to 80 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Angelpeak, Ashnola, Bucketlake, Ducklake (T), Lackeyshole (T), McAlpinmeadow (T), Mudlakebasin (T), Towermountain (T), Troutmeadows, and Ufish (T) series.
Angelpeak - deep (40 to 60 inches) to a lithic contact, loamy-skeletal part of pscs is slightly acid or neutral and has 60 to 85 percent angular rock fragments, formed in volcanic ash over colluvium from argillite
Ashnola - moderately deep and deep (35 to 50 inches) to a densic contact, very deep (>60 inches) to bedrock, ashy part of the pscs is gravelly ashy sandy loam and less than 50 percent silt, formed in volcanic ash over till from sedimentary and volcanic rocks
Bucketlake - very deep (>60 inches), loamy-skeletal part of the pscs has subrounded and rounded rock fragments and clay content of 5 to 15 percent, formed in volcanic ash over till from granite
Ducklake - deep (40 to 60 inches) to a densic contact, very deep (>60 inches) to bedrock, ashy part of the pscs is stony ashy silt loam with more than 50 percent silt, loamy-skeletal part of pscs has rounded or well rounded rock fragments, formed in volcanic ash over till from granite
Lackeyshole - deep (40 to 60 inches) to a lithic contact, loamy-skeletal part of pscs is slightly acid or neutral and has 35 to 55 percent subangular rock fragments and less than 25 percent very coarse, coarse and medium sand, formed in volcanic ash over colluvium from andesitic basalt and basalt
McCalpinemeadow - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact; loamy-skeletal part of the pscs has subangular rock fragments, more than 25 percent very coarse, coarse and medium sand, and clay content of 5 to 10 percent; formed in volcanic ash over colluvium from granite and granodiorite
Mudlakebasin - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact, loamy-skeletal part of the pscs has well rounded and rounded rock fragments, and clay content of 4 to 18 percent, formed in volcanic ash over till from granite
Towermountain - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a paralithic contact, formed in volcanic ash over colluvium from rhyolitic tuff
Troutmeadows - moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact, loamy-skeletal part of the pscs has subangular rock fragments, less than 25 percent very coarse, coarse and medium sand, and clay content of 10 to 18 percent, formed in volcanic ash over colluvium from basalt
Ufish - deep (40 to 60 inches) to a lithic contact, loamy-skeletal part of pscs is strongly acid to slightly acid, and has 35 to 60 percent subrounded or subangular rock fragments and more than 25 percent very coarse, coarse and medium sand, formed in volcanic ash over colluvium from granite and granodiorite
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mountemily soils are on ridgetops and side slopes of mountains. Elevations are 5,200 to 7,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. The soil is formed in volcanic ash overlying colluvium derived from basalts and andesitic basalts. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and cool, moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 30 to 45 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 35 to 41 degrees F. The frost-free period is 25 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These soils are McNamee and Troutmeadows. McNamee soils occur on side slopes of mountains and have 7 to 14 inches of volcanic ash and an argillic horizon. The competing Troutmeadows soils occur on side slopes of mountains and are moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, watershed, recreation and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, western larch, Engleman spruce, grouse huckleberry, big huckleberry, twinflower, Oregon boxwood, prince's pine, sidebells pyrola, round-leaved violet, white hawkweed, pinegrass and northwestern sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon; MLRA 43c. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa County, Oregon 1998. The name is derived from Mount Emily, northwest of LaGrande.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 2 to 8 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - from 8 to 22 inches (Bw horizon)
Andic property feature - from 2 to 22 inches (A and Bw horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 2 to 42 inches
Udic soil moisture regime
The dominant USFS plant association is ABLA/VASC/POPU3; others may include PICO(ABLA)/VASC/POPU3 and ABLA2/POPU3. On ridge slope positions PICO(ABLA)/VASC/POPU3 may be the dominant plant association.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data available for sample S94OR-061-003 (94P794), NSSL, Lincoln, NE.