LOCATION NOTCHCORRAL ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Palexerollic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Notchcorral very cobbly loam--on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 4,840 feet--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. The soil was dry throughout when it was described on September 16, 1998.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and common fine vesicular pores; 15 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles, and 7 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--3 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and common fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--6 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine angular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine, few fine, few medium, and few coarse roots; common very fine and common fine tubular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
Bt3--11 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine, few fine, few medium, few coarse, and few very coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; common vertical cracks 2 to 5 millimeters wide and 2 to 3 inches apart extending through the horizon; common distinct and few prominent clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bqkm1--22 to 31 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) duripan, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; strong thick platy structure; very rigid; indurated by secondary silica; slightly to strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as common coats on bottom faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bqkm2--31 to 50 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) duripan, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; rigid; moderately to strongly cemented by secondary silica; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine threads on faces of peds; non-effervescent to strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4). (15 to 22 inches thick)
R--50 inches; hard basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Klamath County, Oregon; about 0.3 miles east of the Notch Corrals and 200 feet north of the Oregon-California state line; 200 feet north and 1,800 feet east of the southwest corner of section 22, T. 41 S., R. 14 1/2 E.; USGS Sagebrush Butte 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 59 minutes 38 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 02 minutes 54 seconds west longitude, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring and dry in summer and fall; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 49 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 60 to 62 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 12 inches; includes the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons, or only part of the Bt2 horizon when the upper 7 inches of the soil is mixed.
Argillic horizon thickness - 16 to 20 inches.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 20 to 25 inches.
Depth to duripan - 20 to 25 inches.
Duripan thickness - 17 to 30 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 60 inches to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: averages 40 to 55 percent with an abrupt increase of 15 percent or more between the Bt2 and Bt3 horizons; Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly pebbles and cobbles. Lithology of fragments is basalt.
Reaction - Neutral or slightly alkaline.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 22 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Bt1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly clay loam or cobbly clay loam.
Clay content: 28 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Other features: Some pedons have texture of clay.
Bt2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry.
Clay content: 40 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Bt3 horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 55 to 65 percent.
Bqkm horizons - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist.
Cementation: Indurated in Bqkm1 horizon, very strongly cemented to moderately cemented in Bqkm2 horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Hibbard and Salisbury series. Both of these soils are more than 60 inches to bedrock and have the zone of abrupt clay increase at the upper boundary of the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Notchcorral soils are on plateaus. They typically occur on summit positions. These soils formed in volcanic ash derived from dacite and in residuum derived from basalt. Slopes are 1 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 4,200 to 5,000 feet. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 16 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F., mean January temperature is 27 to 30 degrees F., and the mean July temperature is 58 to 62 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Wonser and Woolencanyon soils. These soils are clayey, shallow to thin duripans overlying lithic contacts, and have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Notchcorral soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, low sagebrush, and western juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 21.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: Klamath County (Gerber Block of Fremont National Forest Area), Oregon 1998. The name is from the corrals in the area that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (A1, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 3 to 22 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Palexerollic subgroup feature - The abrupt clay increase of more than 15 percent at 11 inches (between the Bt2 and Bt3 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 22 to 50 inches (Bqkm1 and Bqkm2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 50 inches to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 3 to 22 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).