LOCATION VOLSPRING OR
Tentative Series
IRD. JRD/DAL/TDT
02/2025
VOLSPRING SERIES
Landscape--mountains, plateaus
Landform--mountain slopes, benches
Slope--5 to 60 percent
Parent material--thick mantel of ash over mixed colluvium derived mesozoic marine sediments
Mean annual precipitation--about 610 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 5 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--xeric
Soil temperature regime--frigid
Soil moisture subclass--typic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy-skeletal, glassy over isotic, frigid Alfic Humic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Volspring ashy sandy loam, upland forest at an elevation of 1805 m, on a 40 percent north aspect, convex slope. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed fir and sedge litter
A1--3 to 10 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; few coarse roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 10 percent channers; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--10 to 18 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent channers; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
A3--18 to 28 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/3) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent channers; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 6 to 14 inches.)
C--28 to 43 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) flaggy ashy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 15 percent flagstones and 5 percent channers; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick). (Combined thickness of the ashy A and C horizons is 14 to 20 inches)
AB--43 to 64 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to very coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent channers; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
2Bt1--64 to 122 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) flaggy sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on pore surfaces and ped faces; 5 percent channers, 20 percent flagstones and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 26 inches thick)
2Bt2--122 to 185 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) very flaggy sandy clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces and rock faces; 10 percent channers, 30 percent flagstones and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon; north end of Snow Mountain Ranger District, west of Snow Mountain, on the 4385-020 road; SE1/4, NW1/4, SE1/4 of Section 30, T.18 S., R.27 E.; latitude 43.9776553, longitude -119.523834, WGS84 Datum (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--4 to 7 degrees C
Soil moisture--usually moist, dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer and early fall
Mollic epipedon--25 to 64 cm thick
Estimated properties of layers with andic soil properties
*Andic Soil Properties--upper boundary at mineral soil surface, 36 to 64 cm thick
*0.2 to 2.0 mm fraction--60 to 80 percent of fine earth
*P Retention--25 to 50 percent
*Acid oxalate Al + 1/2Fe--0.4 to 1.0 percent
*Volcanic glass content in 0.2 to 2.0 mm fraction--30 to 50 percent
*Water content at 1500kPa (air dry)--10 to 12 percent
Particle Size Control Section (upper 100 cm below mineral soil surface)
Upper part (ashy)--36 to 64 cm thick
*Clay content--7 to 18 percent
*Rock fragment content--10 to 25 percent
Lower Part (loamy-skeletal)--50 to 66 cm thick
*Clay content--18 to 30 percent
*Rock fragment content--35 to 45 percent
A horizons
*Hue--10YR moist or dry
*Value--2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
*Chroma--1 to 3 moist or dry
*Fine earth texture--sandy loam, fine sandy loam
*Clay content--7 to 18 percent
*Sand content--55 to 70 percent
*Organic matter content--1 to 4 percent
*Total rock fragments--10 to 30 percent
*Channer content--10 to 25 percent
*Flagstone content--0 to 5 percent
*Reaction--moderately acid to slightly acid
C horizon
*Hue--10YR moist or dry
*Value--3 moist, 5 dry
*Chroma--4 moist or dry
*Fine earth texture--sandy loam
*Clay content--5 to 20 percent
*Sand content--55 to 75 percent
*Organic matter content--0.5 to 1 percent
*Total rock fragments--10 to 30 percent
*Channer content--5 to 20 percent
*Flagstone content--5 to 15 percent
*Reaction--moderately acid
*Thickness--combined thickness of A and C horizons is 36 to 50 cm
2Btb1 horizon
*Hue--10YR moist or dry
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine earth texture-- sandy clay loam, sandy clay
*Clay content--18 to 30 percent
*Sand content--45 to 70 percent
*Organic matter content--0.5 to 2 percent
*Total rock fragments--25 to 50 percent
*Channer content--5 to 30 percent
*Flagstone content--10 to 30 percent
*Stone content--0 to 5 percent
*Reaction--moderately acid to slightly acid
*Thickness--50 to 66 cm thick
2Btb2 horizon
*Hue--10YR moist or dry
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--3 or 4 moist or dry
*Fine earth texture--sandy clay loam, sandy clay
*Clay content--27 to 45 percent
*Sand content--45 to 70 percent
*Organic matter content--0.5 to 1 percent
*Total rock fragments--40 to 70 percent
*Channer content--25 to 60 percent
*Flagstone content--15 to 40 percent
*Stone content--0 to 5 percent
*Reaction--moderately acid to slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES:
Norlo--average less than 35 percent coarse fragments in upper part of control section; do not have channers or flagstones throughout the profile
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--1220 to 1980 m
Climate--cold, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation--455 to 660 mm
Mean annual temperature--4 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--45 to 60 days
Lithology--mesozoic marine sediments of the Baker Terrane. Some pedons may have colluvial channers or flagstones of rhyolitic tuff's, or andesites in the upper part
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Dobsonspring--occur on mountain slopes; average less than 36cm of volcanic ash; 100 to 150 cm to paralithic contact
Latigocreek--occur on mountain slopes and ridges; 50 to 100 cm to lithic contact; average greater than 35 percent clay in control section
Laycock--occur on hillslopes, nose slopes; 25 to 50 cm to lithic contact
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage--well drained
Saturation during normal years--none
Flooding--none
Ponding--none
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--very high to high in the ash mantle, high in the subsoil
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat and water supply
Potential native vegetation--grand fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, elk sedge and pine bluegrass
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Oregon, MLRA B-10. These soils are not extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Grant County, Oregon; 2004, Snow Mountain District, part of the Crook County Soil Survey area.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are
Andic soil material (ash)--3 to 64 cm
*Mollic epipedon--3 to 64 cm
*Argillic horizon--64 to 185 cm
*Particle-size control section--3 to 103 cm; 3 to 64 cm ashy, 64 to 103 cm clayey-skeletal. The ashy part averages 18 percent rock fragments with 14 percent field estimated clay. The loamy-skeletal part averages 36 percent rock fragments with 32 percent field estimated clay.
*Plant association: CWG111, Grand Fir- elk sedge (Johnson, GJ. and Clausnitzer, RR., 1992, Plant Associations of the Blue and Ochoco Mountains, PNW Region, R6-ERW-TP-036-92)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.