LOCATION MOWAKO OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Mowako extremely channery loam - on a 32 percent south facing slope, woodland. ( Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted.)
Oi-- 1 inch to 0; organic layer of needles and twigs
A-- 0 to 3 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) extremely channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 65 percent channers; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
AB-- 3 to 9 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine, fine, and few medium tubular pores; 65 percent channers; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1-- 9 to 16 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium root; common very fine, fine, and few medium tubular pores; organic stains on face of peds; 65 percent channers; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
Bw2-- 16 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; many very fine, fine, and few medium tubular pores; organic stains on face of peds; 70 percent channers; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
Bw3-- 23 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine,fine, and medium tubular pores; organic stains on face of peds; 70 percent channers; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
R-- 27 inches; fractured sedimentary bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasco County, Oregon; 1000 feet east and 1500 feet north of the SW corner of section 23, T.7 S., R.13 E. ( Warm Springs Indian Reservation).
RANGE OF CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section is 18 to 30 percent clay and more than 65 percent rock fragments. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. Base saturation is assumed to be 50 to 70 percent.
The A and AB horizon has a value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It has 2 to 4 percent organic matter. The upper part of the A horizon has acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent and volcanic glass of 5 to 20 percent.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 to 4 moist and dry. It is loam or clay loam. It has 18 to 30 percent clay and 65 to 80 percent channers.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bald, Briedwell, Burnscreek (T), Fivelakes, Lenz, Lyville (T), McCroskett, Northstar, Rockford, Spokel, Suta (T), and Wynhoff series. All soils except the Lenz, Northstar, and Wynhoff series are greater than 40 inches to bedrock. The Lenz, Northstar, and Wynhoff soils have less than 18 percent clay in the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mowako soils are on very steep south-facing side slopes of mountains. Elevations range from 1800 to 4200 feet. Slopes are 30 to 80 percent. The soil formed in residuum and colluvium derived dominantly from sedimentary rock with an influence of volcanic ash in the surface. The climate is characterized by cool and wet winters and hot and dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches. The mean annual temperature is 47 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fawnspring, Littlefawn, Mutton, Peahke, and Wakamo soils. Fawnspring soils are fine, montmorillonitic, are deep to bedrock and are on north-facing side slopes of mountains. Littlefawn soils are fine. Mutton soils are ashy-skeletal, very deep to bedrock, and are on north-facing side slopes of mountains. Wakamo soils are clayey-skeletal, are shallow to bedrock, and are on adjacent south-facing side slopes of mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Douglas fir and ponderosa pine with an understory of Idaho fescue, arrowleaf balsamroot, and antelope bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mutton Mountains of North-central Oregon; MLRA 6. The soils of this series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wasco County (Warm Springs Indian Reservation), Oregon, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 16 inches (A, AB, Bw1 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 16 to 27 inches (Bw2, Bw3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 27 inches (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons).
Vitrandic feature - The zone from 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)