LOCATION RIDLEY OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Pachic Palexerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ridley silt loam - on a 5 percent concave southeast-facing slope; rangeland. (Colors are for moist
soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam,
brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, friable,
nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots;
many very fine and fine continuous tubular pores; neutral
(pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
A2--4 to 9 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam,
brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular
blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and
nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine
and fine continuous vertical tubular pores; neutral (pH
7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--9 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2)
silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; strong medium and
coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm,
slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine
roots; few very fine and fine continuous vertical tubular
pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 11
inches thick)
Bw2--14 to 24 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay
loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; strong medium and coarse
subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly
sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots;
few very fine and fine continuous vertical tubular pores;
neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches
thick)
2Bt1--24 to 33 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay, brown
(10YR 4/3) dry; strong coarse and very coarse subangular
blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; many
thick clay films on face of peds; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4);
clear smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
2Bt2--33 to 42 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay,
brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular
blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and
slightly plastic; common moderately thick clay films on face
of peds; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
(9 to 17 inches thick)
3Bk--42 to 68 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay
loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate fine and
medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm,
slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent,
lime segregated in common fine irregularly shaped seams;
moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; 1,000 feet south and
350 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 2, T. 8 S., R. 42 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is dry in all parts
between about 4 and 12 inches for 60 to 80 consecutive days
after the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature
is 47 to 52 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is typically
greater than 60 inches but may be 40 to 60 inches in some
pedons. Depth to the 2Bt is 20 to 40 inches. Hue is 10YR
or 7.5YR. There is an absolute increase in clay of 15 to 30
percent between the Bw and 2Bt horizons.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and
chroma of 1 through 3 moist and dry. It has 3 to 5 percent
organic matter.
The Bw horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and
chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is silt loam or silty
clay loam. It has 20 to 40 percent clay.
The 2Bt horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry and
chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is silty clay or clay.
It has 50 to 60 percent clay.
The 3Bk horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4
moist and dry. It has 0 to 15 percent gravel. It is
slightly or strongly effervescent. This horizon is absent
in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The
Goring,
Prag, and
Smelter series are similar. They are all frigid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ridley soils are in concave areas on
uplands. Elevation is 3,000 to 3,800 feet. Slopes are 2 to
12 percent. The soil is formed in colluvium and residuum
derived dominantly from greenstone with an influence of
loess and volcanic ash in the surface. The climate is
characterized by cold moist winters and warm dry summers.
The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The mean
annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free
period is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Gwin,
Keating and
Virtue series. Gwin soils are shallow,
loamy-skeletal and are on side slopes. Keating soils are
moderately deep and are in the same position as Ridley
soils. The Virtue soils are moderately deep to a duripan
and are located on adjacent terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is slow. Permeability is moderately slow in the surface horizons and
slow in the subsoil.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland,
irrigated small grain, hay and pasture. The native
vegetation is basin wildrye, Idaho fescue, bluebunch
wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Wyoming big sagebrush and
big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Oregon. The soils of this
series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Baker County Area, Oregon; 1988.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon
are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a
depth of approximately 33 inches (A1, A2, Bw1, Bw2, 2Bt1
horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 24 to 42
inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2 horizons).
"Pale" feature - argillic horizon with clayey particle-size
class and an abrupt upper boundary.