LOCATION SAGEHEN                 OR

Established Series
Rev. CFL-TDT-JVC-JBF
12/2022

SAGEHEN SERIES

The Sagehen series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks. Sagehen soils are on lava plateaus, mountains and hills. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 280 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Xeric Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Sagehen stony clay loam--on a 40 percent slope--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 25 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many roots; many fine irregular and vesicular pores; 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick)

Bw--25 to 48 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; many fine irregular and vesicular pores; 2 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 25 cm thick)

R--48 cm; basalt rock.

TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon; about 0.5 mile east of Little Trout Creek and 0.25 mile north of Pole Patch Springs; approximately 1,000 feet north and 1,400 feet east of the southwest corner of section 29, T. 39 S., R. 38 E.; USGS Pole Canyon 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 42 degrees 09 minutes 12 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 17 minutes 18 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; these soils are dry in the moisture control section for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is greater than 5 degrees C; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 15 to 16 degreesC.
Depth to base of cambic horizon: 25 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 25 to 50 cm to a lithic contact.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt and andesite.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bw horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam, very cobbly loam, or very gravelly loam.
Reaction: Neutral or slightly alkaline.
Other features: Some pedons have a Bqk horizon with reaction that is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sagehen soils are on lava plateaus, mountains and hills. They typically occur on south-facing backslope positions. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks such as basalt, welded tuff and andesite. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. Elevations range from 1,380 to 2,170 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cleavage, Clamp, Dickle, Lonegrave and Westbutte soils. Cleavage soils have a mollic epipedon. Clamp soils are cryic and are on north-facing slopes. Dickle soils are cryic and are on north-facing slopes. Westbutte soils are moderately deep and have a mollic epipedon. Lonegrave soils are moderately deep to bedrock.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Sagehen soils are used for rangeland. The vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Sandberg's bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, and bottlebrush squirreltail.

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 (part of the A horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 25 to 48 cm (Bw horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 48 cm to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 48 cm (Bw horizon).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.