LOCATION WHALESHEAD OR
Established Series
Rev. MHF/CDJ/RWL
06/2011
WHALESHEAD SERIES
The Whaleshead series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived dominantly from metasedimentary or metavilcanic rock. Whaleshead soils are on side slopes of coastal hills and mountains. Slopes are 30 to 90 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 85 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, isomesic Andic Humudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Whaleshead very gravelly medial loam, woodland, on a 35 percent north-facing slope at 420 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed litter of needles, leaves, twigs and woody materials.
A--2 to 5 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) very gravelly medial loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine and few medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
BA--5 to 14 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) very gravelly medial clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine discontinuous tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bw1--14 to 23 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderately fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine and few medium coarse roots; many fine and very fine discontinuous tubular pores; common faint organic coatings on ped faces and in pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--23 to 35 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very gravelly clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine discontinuous tubular pores; common faint organic coatings on ped faces and in pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--35 to 49 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine discontinuous tubular pores; common faint organic coatings on ped faces and in pores; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon ranges from 32 to 45 inches)
C--49 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium and coarse roots, many fine and very fine discontinuous tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Curry County, Oregon; located about 800 feet north and 1750 feet west of the SE corner of section 27, T. 39 S., R. 14 W. (Latitude 42 degrees, 9 minutes, 59 seconds N, Longitude 124 degrees, 20 minutes, 36 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. The soils are usually moist and are dry for less than 45 consecutive days in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches in the four months following the summer solstice. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature varies from 5 to 9 degrees F. The particle-size control section is 27 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent rock fragments. Depth to bedrock is typically greater than 60 inches but in some pedons it may range from 40 to 60 inches deep. Hue is 10YR or 7.5YR. The umbric epipedon is 20 to 40 inches thick and includes the upper part of the Bw horizon.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is very gravelly loam with 18 to 27 percent clay. It has 30 to 45 percent gravel and 5 to 10 percent cobbles. It has a bulk density of 0.85 to 1.0 grams per cubic centimeter and acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent. Organic matter is 5 to 10 percent.
The BA horizon has colors similar to the A horizon. It is very gravelly clay loam or very gravelly loam with 18 to 30 percent clay. It has 30 to 45 percent gravel and 5 to 10 percent cobbles. Organic matter is 5 to 8 percent.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 to 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is very gravelly clay loam or extremely gravelly clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay. It has 40 to 50 percent gravel and 5 to 20 percent cobbles. Organic matter is 3 to 5 percent.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is very gravelly clay loam or extremely gravelly clay loam with 30 to 40 percent clay. It has 45 to 55 percent gravel and 10 to 20 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Millicoma series. Millicoma soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Whaleshead soils are on metastable to active side slopes of coastal hills and mountains. Slopes are 30 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium derived from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock types of the Dothan and Otter Point Formations. Elevation is 50 to 1000 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 termperature. The mean annual precipitation is 85 to 95 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 210 to 270 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Hooskanaden,
Loneranch,
Reedsport,
Reinhart,
Sebastian, and
Svensen soils and the competing
Millicoma soils. Hooskanaden soils are clayey and moderately well drained. Loneranch soils are fine-loamy, somewhat poorly drained, and 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Millicoma soils are on side slopes of mountains. Reedsport soils are fine-loamy and 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Reinhart soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to a lithic contact. Sebastian soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to a lithic contact and have serpentinitic mineralogy. Svensen soils are fine-loamy, 40 to greater than 60 inches to bedrock, and are on broad ridgetops of mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, water supply, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, grand fir, red alder, red elderberry, salmonberry, evergreen huckleberry, salal, western swordfern, evergreen violet, sweetscented bedstraw, Siberian minerslettuce, mountain brome, and bearded fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal hills and mountains of southwestern Oregon. MLRA 4A. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Curry County, Oregon, 1995.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Umbric epipedon - from 2 to 35 inches (A, BA, Bw1, Bw2 horizons).
Cambic horizon - from a depth of 35 to 49 inches (Bw3 horizon).
Andic subgroup feature - the zone from 2 to 14 inches (A and BA horizons)
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.