LOCATION WHITESON OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy over clayey, mixed over smectitic, superactive, mesic Fluvaquentic Vertic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Whiteson silt loam - oak, grass. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A2--7 to 11 inches; very dark brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine and very fine irregular pores; medium acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (40 to 8 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; common medium distinct gray (10YR 5/1), brown (10YR 4/3), and yellowish red (5YR 4/6) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common 2 to 5 millimeter manganese concretions; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
2Cgl--15 to 24 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few large (5 to 12 millimeter) manganese concretions; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
2Cg2--24 to 43 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) clay, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry, with blue streaks; massive; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (16 to 24 inches thick)
3Cg3--43 to 60 inches; variegated olive gray (5Y 5/2), gray (10YR 5/1) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy clay loam; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Linn County, Oregon; 1 mile north of Oak Creek School; 100 feet west of road in the NE 1/4 NW 1/4, sec. 34, T. 11 S., R. 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist and are saturated for prolonged periods during the winter and spring. The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 55 degrees F. The depth to the underlying clayey substratum is 14 to 28 inches. The absolute difference in clay content between the subsoil and the substratum is 25 percent or more. The solum is medium to slightly acid. The substratum is slightly acid to mildly alkaline increasing with depth. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Some areas have a 2 to 3 inch recent deposit of grayish brown coarse silt loam on the surface.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is clay loam or silty clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay and more than 15 percent sand coarser than very fine sand.
The 2C horizon has hue of 5Y through 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or less. It is massive, or has weak coarse prismatic or subangular blocky structure in the upper part and is massive below. It is silty clay or clay with 55 to 65 percent clay.
The 3C horizon commonly is gravelly sandy clay loam but ranges from sand to clay loam and has 20 to 35 percent gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Waldo series in another family. Waldo soils lack a contrasting particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Whiteson soils are on flood plains at elevations of 200 to 700 feet. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The soils formed in recent alluvium over fine textured older alluvium or lacustrine sediments. The climate is humid temperate with cool wet winters and warm dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 60 inches. The mean January temperature is 39 degrees F, mean July temperature 67 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free period is 165 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Waldo soils and the Bashaw, Chehalis, McBee, Natroy and Wapato soils. Bashaw and Natroy soils have clay texture within 10 inches of the surface and cracks from the surface to depths of 20 inches or more when dry. Chehalis and McBee soils are moderately fine textured and well and moderately well drained respectively. Wapato soils are fine-silty and lack a contrasting particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly to poorly drained; slow runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Whiteson soils are used mainly for pasture. Native vegetation is Oregon white oak, Oregon ash, willow, black cottonwood, wild rose, bentgrass and blue wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and southern Willamette Valley, Oregon. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Linn County, Oregon, 1983.