LOCATION REDMOUNT OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Redmount silt loam - cultivated, on a 3 percent slope at an elevation of 4,000 feet. (When described on October 23, 1990 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap-- 0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1); moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
A--9 to 12 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 15 inches)
Bw1--12 to 20 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--20 to 32 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 10 to 25 inches)
2C1--32 to 42 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2C2--42 to 60 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 55 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Wallowa County, Oregon; about 3 1/2 miles south of Enterprise and 30 feet east of Hurricane Creek Road; 1500 feet north and 1000 feet west of the SE corner of section 23, T. 2 S., R. 44 E. (Latitude 45 degrees, 22 minutes, 16 seconds N, Longitude 117 degrees, 16 minutes, 26 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 90 consecutive days during the summer and early fall in most years. The mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The thickness of the mollic epipedon is 20 to 36 inches. Depth to the very gravelly substratum ranges from 26 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section is silt loam, loam, or sandy loam, with 10 to 18 percent clay and greater than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand. Rock fragments average less than 35 percent. The soil reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist or dry. The texture is silt loam or gravelly silt loam. It has 0 to 25 percent gravel. Organic matter is 3 to 5 percent.
The Bw horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. The texture is silt loam, loam, or sandy loam with 10 to 18 percent clay and 0 to 10 percent gravel. Organic matter is 1 to 3 percent.
The 2C horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. The texture is sandy loam or loamy sand with 5 to 10 percent clay. It has 35 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. In some pedons, there are lime coatings on the underside of rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Iver, Kabear, Lobert, Ola, Prucree (T), Shively, Suryon (T), Taterpa, and Wagore series. Iver and Wagore soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments throughout the particle-size control section and lack very gravelly 2C horizons. Kabear soils lack very gravelly 2C horizons in the lower part of the control section. Lobert soils have weakly cemented durinodes and lack very gravelly 2C horizons. Ola soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Pucree soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Shively and Taterpa soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to a paralithic contact and lack very gravelly 2C horizons. Suryon soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 39 to 43 degrees F. and lack skeletal 2C horizons within 26 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Redmount soils are on broad outwash plains. They formed in glaciofluvial outwash with an influence of loess and minor amounts of volcanic ash in the surface. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The climate is characterized by cold wet winters and hot dry summers. Elevation is 3,400 to 4,400 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 13 to 17 inches, with most of the precipitation coming in the winter and spring months. The mean annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chesnimnus, Josset, Lostine, and Minam soils. The Chesnimnus soils have argillic horizons and carbonate accumulation. Josset soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal and are calcareous. Lostine soils are coarse-silty to a depth of 40 inches or more. Minam soils are fine-loamy and are on alluvial fans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for irrigated hay and pasture, and small grains. The potential native vegetation is mainly Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Oregon, MLRA 9. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa County, Oregon, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic (pachic) epipedon - The zone from the surface to about 32 inches (Ap, A, Bw1, and Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches with a weighted average of 16 percent gravel.
Note: (02/2001) The original type location for the Redmount series was located in an area with a mesic temperature regime. The modal profile described in this revised series description reflects a change of location to a frigid area.