LOCATION SUTTLE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, frigid Humic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Suttle very gravelly ashy loamy sand - woodland, on less than 1 percent slope at 3080 feet elevation. (When described, (6-18-84), the soil was moist throughout. Color are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed leaves and twigs of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and white fir needles.
A1--1 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) very gravelly ashy loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent subrounded gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary.
A2--4 to 11 inches; black (10YR 2/1) very gravelly ashy loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 35 percent subrounded gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 16 inches)
2C1--11 to 23 inches; mixed black (10YR 2/1) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly ashy coarse sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; single-grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent subrounded gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
3C2--23 to 30 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent subrounded gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear irregular boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
4C3--30 to 38 inches; black (10YR 2/1) ashy loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; single-grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
5C4--38 to 50 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) ashy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
5C5--50 to 61 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) ashy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0)
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Oregon; 60 feet N. of road, 12 miles up Rd. 12; southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 8, T. 13 S, R. 9 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 27 minutes, 00 seconds N, Longitude 121 degrees, 41 minutes, 30 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is usually moist, but is dry in all parts for 60 to 90 consecutive days after the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. The particle size control section averages 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments all of which are gravel size cinders. The depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to the stratified glacial outwash is 20 to 30 inches. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 16 inches thick. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Oi horizon is 1 to 3 inches thick except where disturbed.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR moist and dry with value of 2 and 3 moist and 4 dry and chroma of 1 moist and 2 to 4 dry. It has 5 to 15 percent clay (estimated) and 35 to 50 percent angular gravel size cinders. Base saturation by ammonium acetate is 35 to 50 percent. It contains 50 to 70 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate, phosphate retention of 70 to 90 percent, acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent, and 15-bar water content both on dried and undried samples of 6 to 12 percent.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR moist and dry with value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 1 to 3 moist and 1 to 4 dry. It has 0 to 5 percent clay (estimated) and 40 to 70 percent angular scoriacious gravel size cinders. It is very gravelly coarse sand or extremely gravelly coarse sand. It contains 80 to 100 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate, phosphate retention of 70 to 90 percent, acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron of 0.7 to 1.5 percent, and 15-bar water content of less than 5 percent on dried and undried samples.
The underlying C horizons are stratified gravelly sandy loam, loamy fine sand, and sandy loam. It has hue of 10YR moist and dry with value of 2 or 3 moist and 3 to 5 dry and chroma of 1 to 3 moist and 2 to 4 dry. It has 5 to 15 percent (estimated) clay and 0 to 30 percent subrounded gravel. It contains 60 to 80 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate, phosphate retention of 60 to 90 percent, acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron of 2.0 to 3.0 percent, and 15-bar water content of 8 to 12 percent on dried and undried samples.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Kreft series. Kreft soils contain less than 15 percent coarse fragments throughout the particle-size control section, have a cambic B horizon and have acid oxalate aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron of 2.0 to 2.6 percent throughout the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Suttle soils are on glacial outwash plains at elevations of 2,500 to 3,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in ash deposits over glacial outwash. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 47 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Allingham, Circle and Wizard soils. Allingham and Wizard soils are on glacial outwash plains and are moderately deep to very gravelly or very cobbly glacial outwash. Circle soils are on glacial outwash plains and have an argillic horizon at 40 to 50 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very rapid over moderately rapid permeability. A high water table is at 0 to 2 feet from April to June.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation and watershed. Potential native vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, white fir, antelope bitterbrush, snowberry, greenleaf manzanita, twinflower, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slope of the Cascades in Central Oregon; MLRA 6. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County (Upper Deschutes River Area), Oregon, 1992.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - from the mineral soil surface to 10 inches (A1 and A2 horizon); base saturation by ammonium acetate is 42 and 39 percent
Andic soil properties - these are present throughout the profile; see laboratory data and range of characteristics.
Particle-size control section (1 to 41 inches) - the 15-bar water content on both dried and undried samples is less than 12 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate extractable iron is greater than 1.0 percent throughout.
The soil has developed in "Blue Lake" and "Sand Mountain" tephra (3,440 years old).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available for this pedon. Reference sample S84OR-031-002 from Jefferson County, Oregon, NSSL, 84P 810.