LOCATION SINKER OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Sinker very channery loam - on a 45 percent
convex north-facing slope, rangeland. (Colors are for moist
soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) very
channery loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak very
fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable,
nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots;
many very fine and fine discontinuous tubular pores; 45
percent schist channers; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth
boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
A2--7 to 15 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2)
very channery loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate
very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very
friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine
roots; many very fine and fine discontinuous tubular pores;
55 percent schist channers; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth
boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--15 to 23 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2)
extremely channery loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky
and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine and
fine discontinuous tubular pores; 60 percent schist
channers; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10
inches thick)
Bw2--23 to 32 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2)
extremely channery loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry;
weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable,
slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common
very fine and fine discontinuous tubular pores; 55 percent
schist channers and 10 percent schist flagstones; neutral
(pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
R--32 inches; highly fractured schist.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon; 800 feet east and 150
feet north of the SW corner of sec. 26, T. 11 S., R. 41 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist,
but are dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches for 50 to
80 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mean
annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Depth to
bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 30
inches thick. The particle-size control section averages 35
to 60 percent rock fragments and 20 to 30 percent clay.
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 35 to 45
percent channers and 0 to 5 percent flagstones.
The Bw horizon has value of 2 through 4 moist, 5 through 7
dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It is loam or
clay loam. It has 35 to 60 percent channers and 0 to 10
percent flagstones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Baldridge,
Burgi,
Chambeam,
Ginser,
Glean,
Lambring,
Rondowa,
Webfoot and
Westbutte(T)
series. The Baldridge, Burgi, Chambeam, Glean, Rondowa and
Webfoot soils are deep. The Westbutte soils have basalt and/or andesite gravel and cobble size fragments. Ginser soils are 20
to 40 inches to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Sinker soils are in convex
positions on north-facing side slopes on hills. Slopes are
12 to 80 percent. Elevations range from 3,500 to 5,300
feet. The soils formed in colluvium from schist and
graywacke. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 16
inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F.
The frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Darkcanyon,
Harlow,
Lostbasin,
Snaker,
Snell, and the competing Chambeam
soils. The Darkcanyon and Snaker soils have mesic soil
temperatures and ochric epipedons. Harlow and Snell soils
are on adjacent basalt hillslopes and are clayey-skeletal.
Lostbasin soils have an ochric epipedon and are on adjacent south-facing slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium
to rapid. Permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland.
The native vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass,
prairie junegrass, mountain big sagebrush, and green
rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Oregon. The series is of
moderate extent.
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 23 inches (A1, A2, Bw1 horizons).
Pachic- mollic epipedon to a depth of 23 inches.
Cambic horizon - the zone from 23 to 32 inches (Bw2
horizon).