LOCATION ROGUE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Rogue cobbly coarse sandy loam on a west-facing slope of 70 percent under mixed conifers at 4,500 feet elevation. (When described the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 6 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) cobbly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots; few fine irregular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--6 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) cobbly coarse sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--17 to 34 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) cobbly coarse sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; few coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 16 to 40 inches)
C1--34 to 48 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) coarse sandy loam, pale very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary.
C2--48 to 54 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) coarse sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 8/3) dry; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8). (Combined thickness of the C horizon is 15 to 25 inches)
Cr--54 inches; weathered granodiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Oregon; about 8 miles southwest of Ashland; approximately 1,620 feet east and 40 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 18, T. 40 S., R. 2 E., Willamette Meridian.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist but are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days between depths of 8 and 24 inches in the four months following the summer solstice. Depth to a paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 47 degrees F. The solum ranges from 24 to 45 inches thick. Rock fragments of the control section average 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 10 to 25 percent gravel, and 0 to 3 percent stones, not exceeding 35 percent.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry and chroma of 2 4 moist and dry. It is moderately acid to neutral.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is cobbly coarse sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam. It is moderately acid to neutral.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 to 6 moist, 5 to 8 dry and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is coarse sandy loam, gravelly loamy coarse sand, or gravelly coarse sandy loam. Gravel content is 0 to 25 percent. It is strongly or moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cannell and Kriest series. Cannell soils are dry for over 60 consecutive days and have 5 to 15 percent gravel in the particle-size control section. Kriest soils are dry for over 60 consecutive days during the summer.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Rogue soils are on broad ridgetops and side slopes of mountains. Elevations are 3,000 to 6,000 feet. Slopes are 12 to 80 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from granite or diorite. The climate is characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and cold, moist to wet winters. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F, mean January temperature is 32 degrees F, and mean July temperature is 60 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is typically 35 to 70 inches but may range to 120 inches in high winter rainfall interior mountains of Curry County, Oregon. The frost-free period is 60 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigelow, Crannler, Goodwin, Siskiyou, Sitkum, Steinmetz, and Tethrick soils. Bigelow, Crannler and Goodwin soils are skeletal. Bigelow and Crannler soils also have cryic soil temperatures. Siskiyou, Sitkum, Steinmetz, and Tethrick soils have mesic soil temperatures. Siskiyou and Sitkum soils also are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Sitkum and Steinmetz soils occur on broad ridgetops and side slopes of mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rogue soils are used for timber production, water supply, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Natural vegetation is white fir, Douglas fir, incense cedar, chinquapin, cascade Oregongrape, and greenleaf manzanita. In high winter rainfall areas of Curry County, Oregon, the vegetation includes tanoak, sugar pine, and Sadler oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Oregon. MLRA 5. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Josephine County, Oregon, 1979.
REMARKS: Formerly classified as coarse-loamy, mixed, frigid Dystric Xerochrepts, competing series not updated at the time of reclassification.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 6 to 34 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of Bw1 horizon, Bw2 horizon, and part of the C1 horizon)
Dystric feature - the zone from 10 to 30 inches having a base saturation (NH4OAc) of less than 60 percent.