LOCATION NORLO                   OR

Tentative Series
IRD. JRD/DAL/TDT
02/2013

NORLO SERIES

The Norlo series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in ash over colluvium from tuffs, basalts, rhyolites and mezozoic marine sediments on mountain sideslopes and benches. Slopes are 5 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 20 inches and mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy-skeletal, glassy over isotic, frigid Alfic Humic Vitrixerands

TYPICAL PEDON: Norlo gravelly ashy sandy loam, upland forest at an elevation of 5,600 feet, on a 25 percent north aspect, convex slope. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed fir litter

A1--1 to 6 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--6 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 6 to 14 inches.)

Bw--10 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to very coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

2Bt1--21 to 29 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; strong thin and medium platy structure that parts to strong fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; common faint clay films on pore surfaces and ped faces; 30 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)

2Bt2--29 to 43 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots, few coarse roots; many very fine, fine and medium continuous tubular pores; few faint clay films on pore surfaces and ped faces; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)

3Bt3--43 to 66 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on ped faces; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon; north end of Snow Mountain Ranger District, south of 4185 road; 1300 feet west and 500 feet south of the northeast corner of Section 1, T.19 S., R.25 E.
Latitude: 43 degrees, 57 minutes, 28.08 seconds
Longitude: 119 degrees, 39 minutes, 40.2 seconds
UTM Coordinates: Zone: 11; Northing: 4,870,627; Easting: 286,494

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: frigid regime
mean annual soil temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F
mean summer soil temperature: 44 to 49 degrees F
mean winter soil temperature: 32 to 36 degrees F
Soil moisture: xeric regime, dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer and early fall

Particle-size control section: mineral surface to 40 inches below the mineral surface
upper part (ashy): 14 to 20 inches thick
clay content (weighted average): 7 to 18 percent
rock fragment content (weighted average): 10 to 25 percent
lower part (loamy-skeletal): 20 to 26 inches thick
clay content (weighted average): 18 to 30 percent
rock fragment content (weighted average): 35 to 45 percent

Diagnostic horizons and features:
andic soil properties: upper boundary at the mineral surface, 14 to 20 inches thick
Al+1/2Fe (ammonium oxalate): 0.4 to 1.0 percent
P retention: 25 to 50 percent
0.2 to 2.0 mm fraction: 60 to 80 percent of fine earth
glass content in the 0.2 to 2.0 mm fraction: 30 to 50 percent
water content at 1500 kPa (air dried): 10 to 12 percent
Sodium floride pH is - 9.0 - 10.0 throughout profile
mollic epipedon: 10 to 20 inches thick
argillic horizon: 34 inches or more thick

Major horizons:
A horizon
color moist: hue 10YR value 2 or 3 chroma 1, 2 or 3
color dry: hue 10YR value 3, 4 or 5 chroma 1, 2 or 3
texture: gravelly ashy sandy loam, gravelly ashy fine sandy loam
rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent
gravel: 10 to 25 percent
cobble: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: moderately acid, pH: 5.6 to 6.0

Bw horizon
color, moist: 10YR 3/4
color, dry: 10YR 5/4
texture: gravelly ashy sandy loam, ashy sandy loam
rock fragments: 10 to 30 percent
gravel: 5 to 25 percent
cobble: 0 to 5 percent
reaction: moderately acid, pH: 5.6 to 6.0

2Bt horizon
color moist: hue 10YR value 3 or 4 chroma 2, 3 or 4
color dry: hue 10YR value 4, 5 or 6 chroma 2, 3 or 4
texture: gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly sand clay loam
clay content: 18 to 30 percent
rock fragments: 20 to 50 percent
gravel: 20 to 50 percent
cobbles: 0 to 5 percent
stones: 0 to 2 percent
boulders: 0 to 2 percent
reaction: moderately acid to neutral, pH: 5.6 to 7.3

3Bt horizon
color, moist: hue 10 yr value 3 or 4 crhoma 3 or 4
color, dry: hue 10YR value 4, 5 or 6 chroma 3 or 4
texture: extremely gravelly sandy clay, very gravelly sandy clay, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam
clay content: 27 to 40 percent
rock fragments: 40 to 70 percent
gravel: 25 to 60 percent
cobbles: 0 to 15 percent
stones: 0 to 2 percent
boulders: 0 to 2 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral, pH: 6.1 to 7.3

COMPETING SERIES:
There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: rolling mountain sideslopes and benches
Aspect: north and east
Slope gradient: 5 to 40 percent
Parent material: volcanic ash over colluvium and slope alluvium
Lithology: basalt, rhyolite, pyroclastic tuff and mesozoic marine sediment
Elevation: 4000 to 6000 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 18 to 22 inches
Mean annual temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F.
Frost-free period: 45 to 60 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
This will be completed when proposed series are processed for name reservation.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well drained
Runoff: slow
Permeability: rapid

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat and water supply
Natural vegetation: grand fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, pinegrass, bluegrass and elk sedge

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: central Oregon
Common ecological region: 13, Blue Mountains
Major land resource area: 10
Extent: moderate

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Grant County, Oregon; 2004.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
andic soil material (ash) 1 to 21 inches
mollic epipedon 1 to 21 inches
argillic horizon 21 to 66 inches
Particle-size control section - 1 to 41 inches; 1 to 21 inches ashy, 21 to 41 inches loamy-skeletal. The ashy part averages 13 percent rock fragments with 10 percent field estimated clay. The loamy-skeletal part averages 36 percent rock fragments with 22 percent field estimated clay.

Plant association: CWG113, Grand Fir- Pinegrass- ash soil (Hall, 1973, Plant Communities of the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon and SE Washington)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL S00OR-023-001 (complete characterization.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.