LOCATION RAIL OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Xeric Endoaquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Rail clay - range. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; strong fine granular structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--2 to 8 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate coarse prismatic and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
A3--8 to 16 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate coarse prismatic and weak medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--16 to 25 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; many distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redox concentrations, mainly along root channels; weak coarse prismatic and strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent with few lime filaments, moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bk2--25 to 32 inches; black (10YR 2/1) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; common distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redox concentrations, mainly along root channels; weak coarse prismatic and moderate coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bkss--32 to 60 inches; black (N 2/ ) clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; many distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) redox concentrations along root channels; weak coarse prismatic and moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many pressure faces and few intersecting slickensides; strongly effervescent with a few lime filaments.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasco County, Oregon; 800 feet west of highway bridge over Cold Camp Creek, northeast 1/4 northwest 1/4, sec. 24, T. 8 S., R. 16 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: In most years the soil is saturated with water during the winter season and has distinct or prominent redox concentrations in the lower part of the epipedon. These soils are dry for 60 to 70 consecutive days between depths of 4 and 12 inches within the 3-month period following the summer solstice. The soil cracks from the surface to 20 inches or more. Depth to intersecting slickensides is 25 to 35 inches. Depth to carbonates and redox concentrations is 12 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. The mollic epipedon is 12 to 20 inches thick. Thin (1 to 5 millimeter thick) lenses of sand and fine gravel occur in the upper 40 inches in some pedons. The soils are neutral to moderately alkaline. Dry value of 5 or less, moist value of 2 or less and chroma of 1 or 2 extend down to 40 inches or more. The soils are clay or silty clay to depths of 40 inches or more. Lenses of sand, gravel or cobbles may occur below 40 inches. Hue of the entire soil is 10YR or yellower. Structure ranges from moderate to strong granular and very fine subangular blocky in the surface layer and weak to moderate and medium to coarse prismatic and moderate to strong angular and subangular blocky in all lower layers.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deedale and Pit series. Deedale soils lack carbonates. Pit soils have a mollic epipedon 20 to 26 inches thick and depth to carbonates is 20 to 26 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rail soils are on nearly level low terraces and along drainageways at elevations of 1,250 to 3,500 feet. The soils formed in fine textured, mixed alluvium. Summers are hot and dry with mean summer temperatures of 61 to 64 degrees F. Winters are cool and moist with a mean winter temperature of 32 to 34 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 150 days. The mean annual precipitation is from 9 to 14 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Curant, McMeen, Tub, Simas, and Willowdale soils. Curant soils occur on north-facing slopes in adjacent uplands and have sola with less than 35 percent clay. McMeen soils have duripans and occur in adjacent uplands. Tub and Simas soils occur in adjacent uplands and have clayey argillic horizons. Willowdale soils are well-drained medium textured soils from recent alluvium.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; very slow permeability. Flooding is none or rare.
USE AND VEGETATION: Production of irrigated hay or pasture and dryland pasture. Other uses are native pasture, wildlife and recreation. Vegetation is mainly giant wildrye and associated grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Wasco, Wheeler and Jefferson Counties in central Oregon. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wasco County (Trout Creek-Shaniko Area), Oregon, 1970.
REMARKS: Disgnostic horizons and other features:
Vertisol - intersecting slickensides at 32 to 60 inches
- clay texture from 0 to 60 inches
- cracking from surface to 20 inches or more
Aquic moisture regime - redox concentrations with chroma of 1 at 16 to 60 inches.
Xeric subgroup - cracks remain open for 60 to 90 consecutive days
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 16 inches