LOCATION TALLOWBOX OR+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Tallowbox gravelly sandy loam, on a 60 percent slope in a forested area at 3,100 feet elevation. (Colors are for a moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
O--1 inch to 0; partially decomposed leaves, needles and twigs.
A--0 to 6 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) gravelly sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; strong fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
BA--6 to 12 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; base saturation is 83 percent; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 17 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; base saturation is 82 percent; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
Bw2--17 to 23 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 25 percent gravel; base saturation is 88 percent; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Cr--23 inches; partially decomposed granitic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Jackson County, Oregon, about 8 miles southeast of Ruch; approximately 490 feet north and 1,190 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 30, T. 39 S., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist but are dry for 80 to 110 consecutive days or more in the four months that follow the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. Depth to a paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section averages 8 to 12 percent clay. Rock fragments average 0 to 35 percent, of which 10 to 25 percent are gravel and 0 to 10 percent are cobbles.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 through 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 moist and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 through 6 moist and dry. It is gravelly sandy loam, gravelly coarse sandy loam and sandy loam. It has a base saturation by ammonium acetate of 75 to 90 percent.
The C horizon which is present in some pedons has similar properties as the B horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arrastre, Barron, Bestrom, Cassolary, Clayton, Frailey, Green Bluff, Hudnut, Kartar, Koerling, Koseth, Quiden, Scala and Stoner series. All of these soils except Arrastre and Bestrom soils are deeper than 40 inches to bedrock. The Arrastre and Bestrom soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Tallowbox series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils on mountains. These soils formed in colluvium derived from granitic rocks. Elevations are 1,000 to 4,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free period is 100 to 160 days. Slopes range from 20 to 70 percent.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Caris, Offenbacher, Shefflein, Vannoy and Voorhies series. The Caris and Voorhies soils are loamy-skeletal. The Offenbacher, Shefflein and Vannoy soils are fine-loamy. The Shefflein and Vannoy soils have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; moderately rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production and homesites. Native vegetation is Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, California black oak, Pacific madrone, deerbrush ceanothus, whiteleaf manzanita and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Oregon. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jackson County, Oregon, 1988.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples from type location numbers 83T7833-35; NSSL.