LOCATION VANDAMINE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Andic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Vandamine ashy silt loam, woodland, on a 25 percent planar, northeast-facing slope at an elevation of 5,500 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and twigs.
A--1 to 6 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) ashy silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (1 to 7 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 12 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) ashy silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak fine angular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, common medium and coarse roots; few fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Eb--12 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, common medium and few coarse roots; few fine irregular pores and common medium and fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2Btb1--20 to 35 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) very gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium and fine angular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few faint clay films on ped faces; few fine and medium roots; few medium and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary.
2Btb2--35 to 45 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very gravelly loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few faint clay films on ped faces; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick) (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 14 to 25 inches)
2C--45 to 61 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) very gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon, Section, T., R.E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 56 minutes, 18 seconds; Longitude 118 degrees, 23 minutes, 15 seconds.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - usually moist but are dry for 30 to 45 consecutive days in the summer (udic moisture regime)
Mean annual soil temperature - 35 to 41 degrees F
Mean summer soil temperature - 41 to 48 degrees F
Mean winter soil temperature - 28 to 36 degrees F
Particle-size control section - 5 to 18 percent clay (apparent field texture) and 35 to 60 percent rock fragments that are argillite
Depth to bedrock - greater than 60 inches
Volcanic ash mantle - 7 to 14 inches thick
Particles of 0.02 to 2.0 mm - 50 to 65 percent
Organic matter - 1 to 4 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron - 2.5 to 3.5 percent
Phosphate retention - 75 to 100 percent
Glass content - 50 to 80 percent
15-bar water (air-dried sample) - 5 to 15 percent
A horizon
Hue - 10YR
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist and dry
Texture - ASHY- SIL
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent total with 0 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Clay - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - 6.1 to 7.3
Base saturation (NH4OAc) - 15 to 30 percent
Bw horizon
Hue - 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma - 4 to 6 moist and dry
Texture - ASHY-SIL, ASHY-L, GRV-ASHY-L, GR-ASHY- SIL
Rock fragments - 10 to 30 percent total with 10 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles
Clay - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - 6.1 to 7.3
Base saturation (NH4OAc) - 25 to 35 percent
2EBb or 2Eb horizon
Hue - 10YR
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist, 2 to 4 dry
Texture - GR-L, GRV-L, GRV-SL
Rock fragments - 25 to 55 percent total with 20 to 50 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Clay - 5 to 18 percent
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.5
Base saturation (NH4OAc) - 50 to 65 percent
2Btb or 2Bwb horizon
Hue 10YR
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma - 4 to 6 moist and dry
Texture - GRV-L, GRV-SL, GRX-L, GRX-SL
Rock fragments - 40 to 65 percent total with 20 to 55 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles
Clay - 5 to 18 percent
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.5
Base saturation (NH4OAc) - 65 to 80 percent
2C horizon
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Value - 4 to 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma - 4 to 6 moist and dry
Texture - GRV-L, GRX-L, GRV-SL, GRX-SL, GRX-LS and CBV-L
Rock fragments - 40 to 70 percent total with 20 to 55 percent gravel and 5 to 20 percent cobbles
Clay - 5 to 15 percent
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.5
Base saturation (NH4OAc) - 65 to 80 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bordengulch, Bearpawmeadow, Marblepoint, and Monumentrock series. Bordengulch and Bearpawmeadow soils are moderately deep. Monument rock soils are deep. Marblepoint soils formed in ash over till and rock fragments are dominated by rounded stones and cobbles.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Vandamine series consists of very deep, well drained soils on backslopes and shoulders of mountains. Vandamine soils are formed in colluvial and residual material derived dominantly from argillite with a mantle of volcanic ash. In some areas, underlying parent material may include rhyolitic tuff. Elevations are 5,400 to 7,200 feet. Slopes are 15 to 90 percent. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and cool, moist summers. The mean annual precipitation is 30 to 50 inches. The mean annual temperature is 33 to 41 degrees F. The frost-free period is 20 to 65 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Angelpeak and competing Bordengulch soils. Angelpeak soils have more than 14 inches of ash and are on more concave mid to lower side slope positions of mountains. Bordengulch is 20 to 40 inches to bedrock and on more convex to planar mid to upper side slopes of mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; permeability is moderate.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, watershed, recreation and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, western larch, big huckleberry, grouse huckleberry, prince's pine, white flowered hawkweed, sidebells pyrola, heartleaf arnica, round-leaved violet and Jacobs ladder pine grass.
Plant Association: ALBA/VAME (subalpine fir/big huckleberry) may include ALBA/VASC/POPU3 (subalpine fir/grouse huckleberry/skunked leaved polemonium)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon; MLRA 43c. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa County, Oregon, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - from 6 to 45 inches (Bw, 2EBb, 2Btb1, and 2Btb2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 11 to 41 inches.
Andic properties - from 1 to 12 inches.
Classification revised 08/2001 from Cryochrepts to Dystrocryepts based on Keys to Taxonomy, 8th edition. Classification revised 05/2006 from Andic Dystrocryepts to Andic Eutrocryepts based on Keys to Taxonomy, 9th edition and supporting lab data and Eutrocryepts to Haplocryepts base on keys to Soil Taxonomy, 10th edition.