LOCATION TEELTRUC ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Teeltruc ashy sandy loam--on a 4 percent slope at an elevation of 4,870 feet--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. The soil was dry throughout when it was described on September 15, 1998.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--3 to 15 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine, common fine, and common medium roots; common very fine interstitial and common medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bw1--15 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, common fine, few medium, and few coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.7); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bw2--26 to 51 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine, few fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and common fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 26 inches thick)
Bq--51 to 61 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; weak discontinuous cementation by secondary silica; 10 percent pebbles; common fine opal coats on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
2R--61 inches; unweathered basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Klamath County, Oregon; about 1.5 miles north of DeVaul Lake and 0.75 mile south of Ben Hall Creek; 1,450 feet north and 1,800 feet east of the southwest corner of section 3, T. 39 S., R. 13 E.; USGS Goodlow Mountain 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 42 degrees 12 minutes 50 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 10 minutes 2 seconds west longitude, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer soil temperature - 59 to 61 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 20 to 36 inches, includes the Bw1 horizon.
Depth to base of cambic horizon - 40 to 55 inches.
Depth to horizons with secondary silica - 40 to 55 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 60 to 80 inches to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 15 to 18 percent; Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent, mainly cobbles. Lithology of fragments is basalt.
Andic intergrade properties - Volcanic glass content is 10 to 30 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions; Phosphate retention is estimated to be less than 25 percent; Oxalate extractable aluminum plus 1/2 iron percentages are estimated to be 0.4 to 0.6.
A1 horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 12 to 16 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
A2 horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 14 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Bw1 horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Clay content: 15 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly cobbles.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Bw2 horizon - Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy sandy loam or cobbly ashy sandy loam.
Clay content: 15 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent.
Bq horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 15 to 18 percent.
Consistence: Slightly hard to hard, dry.
Cementation: Discontinuous, extremely weakly to weakly cemented by secondary silica.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Thrapp (T) series. Thrapp soils have mollic epipedons that are 10 to 15 inches thick, have horizons of dense till in the substratum, and do not have horizons with secondary silica.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Teeltruc soils are on plateaus. The typically occur on toeslope positions. These soils formed in eolian deposits and alluvium derived from tuff and basalt and in volcanic ash derived from dacite. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 4,800 to 5,000 feet. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 17 to 19 inches. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F., mean January temperature is 25 to 28 degrees F., and mean July temperature is 59 to 61 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Casebeer, Pankeybasin, and Schnipps soils. Casebeer soils are clayey, shallow to thin duripans over bedrock, and have argillic horizons. Pankeybasin soils are fine, moderately deep to duripans, and have argillic horizons. Schnipps soils are fine, deep to paralithic contacts, and have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low or low surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Teeltruc soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The native vegetation is Idaho fescue, antelope bitterbrush, and mountain big sagebrush with scattered western juniper and ponderosa pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 21.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: Klamath County (Gerber Block of Fremont National Forest Area), Oregon 1998. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 26 inches (A1, A2, and Bw1 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 26 to 51 inches (Bw2 horizon).
Duric feature - The zone from 51 to 61 inches (Bq horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 61 inches to underlying hard bedrock (2R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bw1 horizon and parts of the A2 and Bw2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Volcanic glass content determined locally by optical grain count using a polarizing microscope.