LOCATION SKIDOOSPRINGS OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Duric Halaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Skidoosprings sandy loam--on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 4,200 feet--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
An--0 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 13 inches thick)
Bn--11 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
Bnq--23 to 30 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; about 20 percent weakly cemented durinodes; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
BCn--30 to 41 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few faint reddish brown masses of iron accumulation; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
2Bqm--41 to 49 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) cemented material, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; laminar opal coats on upper surface over matrix indurated by opal; strongly effervescent in upper one inch, noneffervescent below; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick)
2C--49 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon; about 1.3 miles west of Carson Point; about 2,400 feet west and 1,000 feet south of the northeast corner of section 31, T. 22 S., R. 33 E.; USGS Carson Point 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 43 degrees 37 minutes 14 seconds north latitude and 118 degrees 41 minutes 48 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 7 to 13 inches.
Depth to horizon with weakly cemented durinodes - 15 to 30 inches.
Depth to indurated duripan - 40 to 50 inches.
Depth to bedrock - Greater than 60 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent; Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent; Sand content: Greater than 15 percent fine sand or coarser.
Reaction - Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Other features - Disseminated carbonates are present throughout the particle-size control section.
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 2 to 5 percent.
An horizon - Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, moist or dry.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 10 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 90.
Bn horizon - Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 60 to 350.
Bnq horizon - Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 50.
Durinodes: 20 to 30 percent weakly silica-cemented lenses or laminae.
Consistence: Firm moist; some Bq horizons have a matrix with a brittle manner of failure.
BCn horizon - Salinity (EC): 2 to 5 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 10 to 30.
2C horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 5 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 10 to 20.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Parmele (T) series. Parmele soils do not have indurated duripans at depths between 40 and 50 inches from the soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Skidoosprings soils are on high lake terraces occurring as remnant mounds in stream dissected areas. They formed in lacustrine deposits derived from volcanic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 4,500 feet. The climate is characterized by cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches, mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fury, Opie, and Widowspring soils. Fury soils are on stream terraces, have mollic epipedons, and are nonsaline and nonsodic. Opie soils are on stream terraces and have mollic epipedons. Widowspring soils are on stream terraces, have mollic epipedons, and are nonsaline and nonsodic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately rapid permeability above the duripan, very slow permeability through the duripan. A seasonal perched water table is at a depth of 0.5 feet above the soil surface to 2.5 feet below the soil surface from March through May. Flooding is rare.
USE AND VEGETATION: Skidoosprings soils are used for livestock grazing. The vegetation is mainly basin wildrye, black greasewood, and inland saltgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harney County, Oregon, 1997.
REMARKS: This revision of May 2003 updates the taxonomic class from Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Aeric Halaquepts.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (An horizon).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 11 to 23 inches (Bn horizon).
Durinodes and duric feature - The zone from 23 to 30 inches (Bnq horizon).
Duripan - The zone from 41 to 49 inches (2Bqm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bnq horizon and parts of the An, Bn, and BCn horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples S88OR-025-003 from Harney County, Oregon, samples by NSSL, Lincoln, NE, 01/89.