LOCATION NEBOPEAK           OR
Tentative Series
IRD. RJO/JLW/DAL
11/2008

NEBOPEAK SERIES


Nebopeak series consists of very deep, well-drained soils on midslopes of lateral moraines on glaciated mountains. Nebopeak soils formed in a thin mantle of volcanic ash over till predominantly from basalt. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 40 inches and mean annual temperature about 37 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Nebopeak stony ashy silt loam -- forested, on a 38 percent south-facing slope at an elevation of 5,740 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, twigs and grass

A--1 to 3 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) stony ashy silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (2 or 3 inches thick)

Bw--3 to 11 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) stony ashy silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; few very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)

2EAb--11 to 16 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium and few coarse roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.9); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)

2Eb--16 to 29 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very cobbly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular and few fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

2Btb--29 to 46 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common faint clay films on ped faces; few fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular and irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)

2BCb--46 to 61 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.9).

TYPE LOCATION:
Wallowa County, Oregon
Section 8 (NW 1/4, NE 1/4, NE 1/4), T. 4 S., R. 46 E.
Latitude: 45 degrees, 14 minutes, 05 seconds North
Longitude: 117 degrees, 05 minutes, 10 seconds West
UTM coordinates: zone 11; 5,008,812 northing; 493,241 easting NAD27
USGS Quadrangle: Lick Creek

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: frigid regime
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 38 to 42 degrees F
Mean Summer Soil Temperature: 47 to 51 degrees F
Mean Winter Soil Temperature: 31 to 35 degrees F
Soil Moisture: xeric regime; dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer

Particle-size Control Section: upper 20 inches of argillic horizon
Clay content, average: 18 to 22 percent
Rock fragment content, average: 45 to 70 percent

Diagnostic Horizons and Features:
andic soil properties: upper boundary at the mineral surface; 9 to 13 inches thick
Al+1/2Fe (ammonium oxalate): 1.0 to 2.4 percent
bulk density: 0.65 to 1.00 g/cc
P retention: 60 to 90 percent
0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 40 to 60 percent of fine earth
glass content in the 0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 55 to 85 percent
cambic horizon: 7 to 11 inches thick
eluvial layer, buried: 10 to 18 inches thick
argillic horizon, buried: 15 to 30 inches thick

A horizon:
color, moist: 7.5YR 2.5/2, 3/2; 10YR 2/2, 3/3
color, dry: 7.5YR 4/3, 5/3; 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 5/4
texture: ASHY-SIL, GR-ASHY-SIL, CB-ASHY-L, GR-ASHY-SL
clay content: 2 to 12 percent
rock fragment content: 5 to 25 percent total
gravel: 5 to 15 percent
cobbles: 0 to 15 percent
stones: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3

Bw horizon:
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/4; 10YR 3/4
color, dry: 7.5YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/4; 10YR 5/3, 5/4
texture: GR-ASHY-SIL, ASHY-SIL, CB-ASHY-SIL, GR-ASHY-SL
clay content: 2 to 12 percent
rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent total
gravel: 5 to 15 percent
cobbles: 0 to 10 percent
stones: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: slightly acid or neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3

2EAb and 2EBb horizons; some pedons have a 2Eb horizon:
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4; 10YR 3/4
color, dry: 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6, 6/4; 10YR 4/4
texture: CBV-L, CBV-SIL, STV-L, STV-SL
clay content: 13 to 18 percent
rock fragment content: 35 to 55 percent total
gravel: 10 to 25 percent
cobbles: 15 to 20 percent
stones: 5 to 20 percent
reaction: slightly acid or neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3

2Btb horizon:
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/4; 10YR 3/3
color, dry: 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 5/4; 10YR 4/4
texture: CBX-L, STX-SIL, STV-SIL, STV-L, STX-L
clay content: 17 to 22 percent
rock fragment content: 40 to 65 percent total
gravel: 15 to 30 percent
cobbles: 15 to 25 percent
stones: 10 to 25 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3

2BCb horizon:
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4; 10YR 3/3
color, dry: 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 5/4; 10YR 4/4
texture: CBV-SCL, CBV-L, STV-SL
clay content: 13 to 22 percent
rock fragment content: 45 to 60 percent total
gravel: 20 to 30 percent
cobbles: 15 to 25 percent
stones: 5 to 15 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3

COMPETING SERIES:
Baileycreek: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a paralithic contact (soft weathered basalt); dry 90 consecutive days in summer
Goshawk: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (andesite); dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Jorge: deep and very deep (40 to greater than 60 inches) to a paralithic contact (weathered vesicular andesitic agglomerate)
McDanielake: very deep; formed in colluvium from basalt or andesite with a mantle of volcanic ash; particle-size control section is 18 to 35 percent clay; dry 60 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Payraise: very deep; formed in a thin, undisturbed mantle of volcanic ash over colluvium from argillite or other metasedimentary or metavolcanic rocks; rock fragments are angular in shape
Pinuscreek: deep (40 to 60 inches) to a lithic contact; formed in a thin, undisturbed mantle of volcanic ash over colluvium and residuum from basalt or andesite
Ranes: very deep; formed in an 8 to 13 inch thick volcanic ash mantle over alluvium from mafic igneous rocks; ash mantle is silt loam and has andic soil properties: Al+1/2Fe of 1.0 to 1.5 percent and glass content of 40 to 65 percent; particle-size control section is 8 to 17 percent clay; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Satus: very deep; formed in residuum and colluvium from basalt with a thin mantle of volcanic ash; ash mantle is loam with andic soil properties: Al+1/2Fe of 1 to 2 percent and glass content of 15 to 30 percent; particle-size control section is 10 to 18 percent clay; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Weste: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (basalt); dry 90 consecutive days in summer
Whitedeer: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a paralithic contact (weathered basalt)

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: midslopes of lateral moraines in glaciated mountains
Slope gradient: 30 to 60 percent
Parent material: Mazama volcanic ash over till
Lithology: primarily basalt
Elevation: 5,500 to 6,500 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 35 to 45 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 36 to 40 degrees F
Frostfree period: 25 to 65 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bulger: on moraines and valley trains; very deep; with thick volcanic ash mantle over loamy-skeletal granitic till; under grand fir, Englemann spruce, big huckleberry, longtube twin flower, Rocky Mountain maple, queens cup beadlily, and darkwoods violet
Tyeecreek: on midslopes of lateral moraines; very deep with thick volcanic ash mantle over loamy-skeletal argillic horizon; under subalpine fir, western larch and lodgepole pine with grouse whortleberry, big huckleberry and longtube twinflower

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well drained
Permeability: moderate to moderately rapid

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: watershed, wildlife habitat, timber production, livestock grazing and recreation.
Potential native vegetation: grand fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, grouse whortleberry, birchleaf spiraea, whiteflowered hawkweed, vetch, lupine, pussytoes, pinegrass, elk sedge and northwest sedge
Plant Association: ABGR/CARU (grand fir/pinegrass); may include ABGR/VASC (grand fir/grouse whortleberry)

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: MLRA E43c; Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon
Extent: small

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES PROPOSED: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, 2008. Name is from a peak in the Wallowa Mountains.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
ochric epipedon: 1 to 3 inches; A horizon
cambic horizon: 3 to 11 inches; Bw horizon
eluvial layer, buried: 11 to 29 inches; 2EAb, 2EBb horizons
argillic horion, buried: 29 to 46 inches; 2Btb horizon
andic subgroup properties (ash influenced layer): 1 to 11 inches; A, Bw horizons
particle-size control section: 29 to 46 inches; 2Btb horizon


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.