LOCATION WATCHES OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, isomesic Typic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Watches channery loam - woodland, on a 27 percent southeast-facing slope at an elevation of 440 feet. (When described on October 17, 1990 the soil profile was moist to a depth of 16 inches and dry below this depth. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed needles, leaves, twigs and woody materials.
A1--1 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) channery loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate very fine and fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common fine and very fine irregular pores; 25 percent channers; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 17 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) channery loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, and few fine, medium, and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 20 percent channers; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 18 inches)
Bw1--17 to 26 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) channery clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 20 percent channers and 2 percent flagstones; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--26 to 39 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) channery clay loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 15 percent channers and 2 percent flagstones; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--39 to 50 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) channery clay loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 15 percent channers and 3 percent flagstones; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 30 to 42 inches)
C---50 to 66 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very channery clay loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; 35 percent channers and 3 percent flagstones; very strongly acid (pH 4.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; located about 200 feet north and 2,310 feet east of the southwest corner of section 35, T. 35 S., R. 13 W. (Latitude 42 degrees, 29 minutes, 49 seconds N.; Longitude 124 degrees, 12 minutes, 44 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 51 to 54 degrees F. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature varies from 5 to 9 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry less than 45 consecutive days between 4 and 12 inches in the four months following the summer solstice. The particle-size control section with 25 to 35 percent clay and has 15 to 30 percent total rock fragments. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Solum thickness is 40 to 60 inches. Soil reaction is very strongly acid to strongly acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is channery loam with l5 to 25 percent clay. It has 15 to 30 percent channers and 0 to 3 percent flagstones.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It is channery clay loam or channery loam with 25 to 35 percent clay. It has 15 to 30 percent channers and 0 to 3 percent flagstones.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 5 or 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It is channery clay loam, very channery clay loam, or very channery loam with 25 to 35 percent clay. It has 20 to 40 percent channers and 0 to 10 percent flagstones.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Soils with similar soil classification are the Bosland, Carlotta (T), Coppercreek (T), Devilscreek (T), Ettersburg, Hely (T), Hookton (T), and Wedderburn series. Bosland, Carlotta, Coppercreek, Devilscreek, Ettersburg, Hely, Hookton, and Wedderburn soils have a mean annual soil temperature of greater than 54 degrees F. In addition, Bosland is moderately deep to bedrock and Devilscreek has redox concentrations.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Watches soils occur on broad ridgetops and side slopes of coastal hills and mountains. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from schist or phyllite rock types of the Colebrooke Schist Formation. Elevations are 100 to 1,000 feet. The climate is humid, characterized by cool, wet winters and cool, moist summers with fog. A strong marine influence limits the diurnal and annual range of temperatures. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 95 inches. The mean annual temperature is 50 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 200 to 270 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Capelanco, Calfranch, and Desons soils. All of these soils occur on broad ridgetops or side slopes of coastal hills and mountains. Capeblanco soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact and are loamy-skeletal. Calfranch soils are loamy-skeletal. Desons soils are fine textured and have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Watches soils are used for timber production, pasture, watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Douglas fir, western hemlock, grand fir, Sitka spruce, tanoak, red alder, cascade Oregongrape, evergreen huckleberry, salal, red elderberry, common beargrass, salmonberry, Pacific rhododendron, western swordfern, and western brackenfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal hills and mountains of southwestern Oregon; MLRA 1. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Curry County, Oregon, 1995. The source of the name is Watches Butte in northern Curry County near the Coos-Curry county line.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon.
Cambic horizon - from a depth of 17 to 50 inches. (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - from 11 to 41 inches (part of the A2, Bwl, Bw2, and part of the Bw3 horizon).
All diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.