LOCATION REALLIS                 OR

Established Series
Rev. MPK-JVC-TM-JBF
05/2011

REALLIS SERIES

The Reallis series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from volcanic rocks and minor amounts of eolian material. Reallis soils are on alluvial fans and lake terraces. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Durinodic Xeric Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Reallis sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 3 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 30 cm thick)

Bw--3 to 23; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 36 cm thick)

Bq--23 to 43 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent durinodes; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick)

Bkq1--43 to 69 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine masses; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (25 to 64 cm thick)

Bkq2--69 to 91 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; 5 percent durinodes; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine masses; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 38 cm thick)

C--91 to 152 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) and black (10YR 2/1) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and black (10YR 2/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon; south of Dog Mountain between Harney Valley and Sunset Valley; about 2,100 feet north and 2,600 feet west of the southeast corner of section 36, T. 25 S., R. 30 E.; USGS Northeast Harney Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 43 degrees 21 minutes 32 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 04 minutes 06 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section in winter and early spring, dry from about May 15 to October 15; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to base of cambic horizon: 25 to 89 cm.
Depth to horizon with firm, brittle matrix: 25 to 90 cm.
Depth to horizon with identifiable secondary carbonates: 40 to 90 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt and tuff.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.

Bw and Bq horizons
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Durinodes (when present): 5 to 20 percent in the Bq horizon.
Other features: In some pedons the consistence of the Bq horizon is firm and brittle when moist.

Bkq1 horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel.
Durinodes: 0 to 50 percent.
Consistence: Moderately hard or hard dry, firm or very firm and brittle when moist.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occur as few or common fine masses.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 or 2 percent.

Bkq2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent gravel.
Durinodes: 5 to 50 percent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occur as few or common fine masses or coats on durinodes.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Other features: In some pedons a Bk horizon underlies the Bkq2 horizon with color and texture similar to the C horizon.

C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 2 through 7 dry, 2 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand, loamy sand, loam, or sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Humdun, Poorma, and Silverado series.
Humdun and Poorma soils do not have horizons with firm consistence and a brittle manner of failure. Silverado soils average 10 to 30 percent gravel in the particle-size control section and have horizons of very gravelly sand or very gravelly coarse sand within 100 cm of the soil surface.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reallis soils are on alluvial fans and lake terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from volcanic rocks and minor amounts of eolian material. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,220 to 1,770 meters. The climate is semiarid and characterized by cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 230 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 5 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ausmus, Poujade, and Vergas soils. Ausmus soils are fine-silty and have natric horizons. Poujade soils are fine-loamy and have natric horizons. Vergas soils are fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal and have argillic horizons. All these soils are on lake terraces.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium or low surface runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Reallis soils are used for rangeland. The vegetation commonly is basin big sagebrush, Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Thurber's needlegrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, needleandthread, and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harney County, Oregon, 1997.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A horizon and part of the Bw horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 3 to 43 cm (Bw and Bq horizons).
Duric feature - The zone from 43 to 69 cm (Bkq1 horizon).
Durinodes - The zones from 23 to 43 and 69 to 91 (Bq and Bkq2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Bkq1 and Bkq2 horizons and parts of the Bq and C horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.