LOCATION SMILING OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy, glassy over isotic, frigid Alfic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Smiling ashy sandy loam - woodland, on a 2 percent slope at 3100 feet elevation. (When described (9-19-84), soil was dry to 20 inches and moist below. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
O--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed litter of ponderosa pine needles and grasses.
A1--1 to 5 inches; very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2) ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent pumice; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 17 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent pumice; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 14 to 33 inches)
2Btb1--17 to 28 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary.
2Btb2--28 to 40 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Btb horizon is 18 to 34 inches)
3Btb3--40 to 59 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
3Btb4--59 to 64 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; common faint clay films on peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Oregon; SE1/4, SE1/4, NW1/4 sec. 2, T. 13 S., R. 9 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 28 minutes, 34 seconds N, Longitude 121 degrees, 37 minutes, 38 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is usually moist but is dry for 45 to 90 consecutive days after the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. Depth to bedrock is 40 to more than 60 inches. Depth to the buried argillic horizon and ash mantle thickness is 14 to 33 inches. The ash mantle contains 50 to 70 percent glass and glass-coated aggregate, phosphate retention of 60 to 80 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid oxalate iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent, and 15-bar water content of 5 to 10 percent on dried samples and 8 to 12 percent on undried samples. The soil is moderately acid to neutral throughout.
The Oi horizon is 1 to 3 inches thick except where disturbed.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 through 6 dry and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It contains 0 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. Total rock fragments are 0 to 15 percent. It contains 5 to 15 percent field estimated clay.
Some pedons have a Bw horizon, which is in the ash mantle.
The 2Btb and 3Btb horizon has value of 3 to 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 3 through 6 dry. It is loam, clay loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly clay loam. It contains 18 to 35 percent field estimated clay. It contains 5 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones. Total rock fragments range from 5 to 35 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Brasher and Tolo series. Brasher soils have hue of 10YR and silt loam textures in the upper part of the particle-size control section. Tolo soils have a silt loam ash mantle and a silt loam or silty clay loam argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Smiling soils are on mountains at elevations of 2,500 to 4,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. The soils formed in ash over basalt or andesite colluvium and residuum with a mantle of ash. The climate is characterized by cool, wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 50 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 47 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Windego and Kweo soils. Windego soils are on mountains and are ashy over loamy-skeletal. Kweo soils are on cinder cones and are ashy over pumiceous or cindery.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, antelope bitterbrush, snowbrush, snowberry, greenleaf manzanita, chinkapin, Idaho fescue, and brackenfern.
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:
ochric epipedon - from the mineral soil surface to 17 inches (A1 and A2 horizon).
argillic horizon - from 17 to 64 inches (2Btb1, 2Btb2, 3Btb3, 3Btb4)
andic soil properties - the upper 16 inches of the mineral soil meets andic soil properties (2a)
particle-size control section - from 1 to 41 inches (A1, A2, 2Btb1, 2Btb2, and upper 3Btb3 horizons). The upper 16 inches meets andic soil properties and 15-bar water of less than 12 percent (dried). This is based on geographically associated soils. The lower 24 inches does not meet andic soil properties and has less than 30 percent glass.