LOCATION WINDYBUTTE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Argiduridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Windybutte silt loam - rangeland, on a 2 percent slope at an elevation of 4,125 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and many very fine roots; many fine vesicular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bt--7 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films on the faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
2Bkq--13 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm and brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, with carbonates in seams; calcium carbonate is 4 percent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
2Bq1--17 to 32 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2Bq2--32 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Harney County, Oregon, about 2 miles south of Crane, about 500 feet south and 1,250 feet west of the northeast corner of section 24, T. 25 S., R. 33 E. (Latitude 43 degrees, 23 minutes, 26 seconds N., Longitude 118 degrees, 35 minutes, 36 seconds W. NAD 1927)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is dry for one-half to three-forths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The particle-size control section contains 25 to 35 percent clay and less than 15 percent material coarser than very fine sand. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 17 inches thick and includes the argillic horizon. Bedrock is at a depth of greater than 60 inches. Depth to carbonates and the brittle layer is 10 to 17 inches.
The A horizon has a chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is neutral to slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon is silty clay loam or silt loam, with 25 to 35 percent clay.
The 2Bkq horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is loam and sandy loam, with 10 to 20 percent clay. It is moderately and strongly alkaline. It has 2 to 5 percent calcium carbonate.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Windybutte soils are on lake terraces and have slopes of 2 to 5 percent. The soils formed in lacustrine sediments and alluvium from mixed sources. Elevation is 4,000 to 4,200 feet. The climate is characterized by cold, moist winters, and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ausmus, Lawen, and Poujade soils. Ausmus and Poujade soils have a natric horizon. Lawen soils are in the coarse-loamy particle-size family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for alfalfa and hay production, and livestock grazing. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, basin wildrye, basin big sagebrush and Thurber needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Pleistocene lake basins of southeast Oregon; MLRA 23, 24. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Harney County, Oregon, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
mollic epipedon - from 0 to 13 inches (A, Bt horizons)
argillic horizon - from 7 to 13 inches (Bt horizon)
duric feature - from 13 to 60 inches (2Bkq, 2Bq1, 2Bq2) - very hard and brittle
particle-size control section - from 7 to 13 inches (Bt horizon)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data is available for this soil. Reference sample S83 OR-25-2-1 from Harney County, Oregon, Oregon Soil Characterization Lab, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.