LOCATION SCHNIPPS ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, frigid Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Schnipps cobbly loam--on an 8 percent slope at an elevation of 4,900 feet--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. The soil was dry throughout when it was described on September 15, 1998.) The soil surface is partially covered with about 15 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones.
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--3 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, common fine, and common medium roots; many fine and many medium tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, few fine, few medium, and few coarse roots; common fine and common medium tubular pores; common faint and few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--25 to 49 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, few fine, few medium, and few coarse roots; few very fine and few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 25 inches thick)
Crt--49 to 65 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/3), soft weathered vesicular basalt, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; common distinct clay films on pararock fragments.
TYPE LOCATION: Klamath County, Oregon; about 2.5 miles east of Boggs Lake and near the end of the road south of Copeland Reservoir; 750 feet north and 1,100 feet east of the southwest corner of section 13, T. 40 S., R. 14 E.; USGS Langell Valley 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 5 minutes 42 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 7 minutes 50 seconds west longitude, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 59 to 61 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 30 inches; includes the Bt1 horizon.
Argillic horizon thickness - 18 to 36 inches.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 40 to 50 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 40 to 50 inches to a paralithic contact. The paralithic material below the contact is weathered basalt or tuff. Hard, unweathered bedrock is typically within 80 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: averages 35 to 42 percent; Rock fragments: averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly cobbles. Lithology of fragments is basalt.
Reaction - Slightly acid or neutral.
Other features - Some pedons have Bt3 horizons.
A1 horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Cobbly loam or very stony loam.
Clay content: 20 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 45 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
A2 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Texture: Cobbly loam, cobbly clay loam, very cobbly loam, very cobbly clay loam, or stony loam.
Clay content: 24 to 32 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 40 percent.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Bt1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Texture: Cobbly clay loam or very cobbly clay loam.
Clay content: 32 to 40 percent.
Rock fragments: 25 to 45 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Bt2 horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Cobbly clay loam, cobbly clay, very cobbly clay loam, or very cobbly clay.
Clay content: 36 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 40 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arcia, Arva, Broadhead, Bumpheads (T), Cristo, Henefer, Rugar, and Sweitberg series. Arcia and Sweitberg soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Arva soils have 45 to 60 percent clay and dominantly pebbles in the particle-size control section. Broadhead and Henefer soils are very deep. Bumpheads and Cristo soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Rugar soils average 5 to 15 percent rock fragments, which are mainly pebbles, in the particle-size control section and have paralithic material of tuffaceous sedimentary rocks within the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Schnipps soils are on hills. They occur on plateau landscapes. These soils formed in slope alluvium and residuum derived from basalt or tuff. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 4,800 to 5,450 feet. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 17 to 20 inches. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F., mean January temperature is 25 to 28 degrees F., and the mean July temperature is 56 to 60 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Devaul, Mound, and Norcross soils. Devaul soils are loamy-skeletal, deep to paralithic contacts, and have mollic epipedons and argillic horizons. Mound soils are clayey-skeletal, deep to paralithic contacts, and have argillic horizons and thick mollic epipedons. Norcross soils are clayey, shallow to thin duripans over bedrock, and have mollic epipedons and argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high or very high surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Schnipps soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The native vegetation is a forest canopy of western juniper and ponderosa pine with an understory of Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, mountain big sagebrush, and curlleaf mountainmahogany.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 21.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: Klamath County (Gerber Block of Fremont National Forest Area), Oregon 1998. The name is from spring in the area.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 25 inches (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Pachic subgroup feature - A mollic epipedon that is 20 inches or more thick.
Argillic horizon - The zone from 14 to 49 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 49 inches to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (Crt layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 14 to 34 inches (Bt1 horizon and part of the Bt2 horizon).