LOCATION WHISKEYRUN ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitritorrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Whiskeyrun gravelly ashy loam at an elevation of 1,390 meters, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partly covered by 10 percent gravel.
A--0 to 12 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.(10 to 20 cm thick)
AB--12 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent fine gravel and 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)
Bt1--25 to 42 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine gravel and 25 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 25 cm thick)
Bt2--42 to 78 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent faint clay bridges and 10 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 10 percent fine gravel and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 40 cm thick)
BC--78 to 105 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent faint clay bridges; 10 percent fine gravel and 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 40 cm thick)
C--105 to 160 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; 5 percent faint clay bridges; 10 percent fine gravel and 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Malheur County, Oregon; 10 miles south of Danner, Oregon; UTM 473975 easting 4742594 northing, zone 11, NAD83 on the USGS Little Grassy Mountain quadrangle, latitude 42 degrees 50 minutes 8.00 seconds north and longitude 117 degrees 19 minutes 6.00 seconds west, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - The soil moisture control section is dry throughout in summer and fall and moist in winter and spring; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Soil Temperature - 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 42 cm, includes part of the Bt horizon.
Control section - Clay content 20 to 35 percent.
Rock Fragments 10 to 30 percent, mainly gravel with basalt and tuff lithology.
A horizons -
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Volcanic glass: Volcanic glass is estimated to range from 20 to 40 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction.
AB horizon -
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 5 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.
Volcanic glass: Volcanic glass is estimated to range from 10 to 30 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction.
Bt horizons -
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy loam, ashy clay loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 5 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.
Volcanic glass: Volcanic glass is estimated to range from 5 to 25 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction.
BC horizon -
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Clay content: 20 to 28 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 5 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.
C horizon -
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry
Clay content: 20 to 28 percent.
Texture: Loam, sandy clay loam.
Rock fragments: Averages 5 to 20 percent, mainly gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dester and Littlegrass soils. Dester and Littlegrass soils are both less than 150 cm to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Whiskeyrun soils are on lava plateaus and hillslopes. These soils formed in mixed volcanic ash and loess over residuum weathered from basalt. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. Elevations are 1,350 to 1,425 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 280 to 330 mm; mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C, and the frost free season is 60 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Drice and Littlegrass soils. Drice and the competing Littlegrass soils are less than 150 cm to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, high runoff, slow and very slow permeability, and moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly basin big sagebrush, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast Oregon; the soil is of moderate extent. MLRA 25.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: Malheur County, Oregon, Southern Part 2008.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to about 42 cm (A, AB and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 25 to 78 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Vitritorandic feature - Volcanic glass is 20 to 40 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction in the zone from 0 to 12 cm (A horizon). Volcanic glass is 10 to 30 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction in the zone from 12 to 25 cm (AB horizon).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 78 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).