LOCATION SHIPPA OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Shippa extremely gravelly loam, forested.
(Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) extremely gravelly
loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) dry; moderate fine granular
structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many
very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine
irregular pores; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles;
slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches
thick)
Bw--4 to 16 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly loam,
light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many
very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel 50 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
R--16 inches; fractured andesite with roots and soil material
in some cracks in the upper few inches.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Oregon; about 9 miles north of
trail, approximately 1,550 feet west and 1,050 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 23, T. 32 S., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist but dry in
the moisture control section for 60 to 90 consecutive days during
the summer. Depth to a lithic contact is 10 to 20 inches. The
mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. Clay content
is 18 to 27 percent throughout.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma
of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Coarse fragments range from 40 to 55 percent gravel and 10 to 25 percent cobbles.
The Bw horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist
and dry. Coarse fragments range from 15 to 30 percent gravel and
25 to 50 percent cobbles. It has moderate fine and medium
subangular blocky or weak and moderate granular structure. It is slightly or moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Deadwood series. Deadwood soils
are dry for over 90 consecutive days during the summer.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Shippa soils are on mountainsides of the western Cascades at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. The soils formed in colluvium from igneous rocks, dominantly andesite,
tuff, and breccia. Slopes range from 30 to 90 percent, but are dominantly 50 to 80 percent. The climate is subhumid with cool
wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual temperature is
45 to 52 degrees F, the mean January temperature is 35 degrees F,
and the mean July temperature is 68 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 35 to 55 inches. The frost-free period is 100
to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Chamate,
Freezener,
Geppert and
Straight series. Chamate soils are deep. Freezener soils have fine-textured argillic horizons. Straight
soils have 7.5YR and 5YR hues and are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Geppert soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for watershed, wildlife
and timber production. The native vegetation includes ponderosa pine, white fir, incense cedar, and Pacific madrone with an understory of common snowberry, cascade Oregongrape on north
slopes and tall Oregon grape on south slopes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The west side of the southern Cascade Mountains, Oregon. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County Area, Oregon, 1988.