LOCATION SKYLINE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Typic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Skyline very cobbly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very cobbly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent fine and medium pebbles; 25 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
A3--2 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very cobbly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots and many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent fine pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
B2--9 to 14 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots and many very fine tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
IICr--14 to 16 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) semiconsolidated sandstone bedrock and very hard.
TYPE LOCATION: Wasco County, Oregon; about 1,000 feet north of country road in the NE1/4 NE1/4 NW1/4 section 26, T. 1 S., R. 12 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: In most years the soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for more than 90 consecutive days during the 4 months following the summer solstice. They are moist throughout the moisture control section for 90 days or more following the winter solstice. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to about 54 degrees F. Thickness of solum and depth to the paralithic contact range from 12 to 20 inches. Rock fragments (2 mm. to 10 inches in diameter) range from 20 to 55 percent in the A horizons and 10 to 30 percent in the B horizons and average 20 to 35 percent in the control section. Amount of surface stones ranges from 5 to 20 percent. The control section is loam and has 12 to 18 percent clay.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5.5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist dry. It has weak or moderate structure.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Balder, Kuhl, Stukel and Tollhouse series. Balder soils are fine-loamy, have 18 to 27 percent clay and overlie volcanic tuff. Kuhl and Stukel soils have lithic contacts. Tollhouse soils are coarse sandy loam or sandy loam and have 20 to 50 percent coarse sand or very coarse sand.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Skyline soils are on gently sloping to very steep uplands at elevations of 500 to 3,500 feet. The soils formed in mixed loess and volcanic ash and colluvium over partially weathered sedimentary bedrock. The climate is semiarid with moist winters and dry summers. The mean annual temperature is about 45 to 52 degrees F., the mean January temperature is about 32 degrees F., and the mean July temperature is about 62 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches. The frost-free (32 degrees F.) season is 110 to 140 days and for (28 degrees F.) is 140 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Duart, Frailey, Hesslan and Wamic soils. Duart and Hesslan soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Frailey and Wamic soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Range. Present vegetation is mainly bunchgrass, forbs, shrubs, oak and pine trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Uplands of north-central Oregon. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wasco County, Oregon, 1975.