LOCATION WYLIE ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wylie clay loam - rangeland, on a 49 percent north slope at an elevation of 2,500 feet. (When described on October 17, 2002, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 2 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; strong very fine and fine granular structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; few fine and common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent paragravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; strong medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few coarse and fine and common very fine roots; few medium, fine, and very fine tubular pores; continuous prominent clay films on ped faces and in pores; 10 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--9 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderately medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few medium and fine and common very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on ped faces; 10 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 8 to 16 inches)
Crk--16 to 26 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; tuff that can be cut with a spade; carbonates coating most of the rock fragments.
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon, located about 2 miles south of the town of Monument on the east side of Dry Creek; 300 feet west and 1,000 feet south of the NE corner of section 14, T. 9 S., R. 27 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 47 minutes, and 40 seconds N. and Longitude 119 degrees, 25 minutes, and 44 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 70 to 90 days. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. Depth to paralithic contact is 10 to 20 inches. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 14 inches.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay. It has 0 to 10 percent cobbles. It also has 0 to 15 percent paragravel. Soil reaction is slightly or moderately alkaline.
The BAt horizon, when present, has colors similar to the A horizon. It is clay loam with 30 to 40 percent clay. Soil reaction is slightly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is clay with 40 to 60 percent clay. It has 0 to 20 percent paragravel. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
In some pedons, soft powdery secondary carbonates occur just above the paralithic contact.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wylie soils are on hills and have slopes of 2 to 50 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from volcanic tuff. Elevation is 2,200 to 4,600 feet. At higher elevations, these soils are only on south slopes. The climate is characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. The frost free period is 80 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Belshaw, Cupper (T), Exfo, Ninetysix, Prill, and Ritter (T) soils. Belshaw soils are very deep. Cupper soils are deep or very deep to hard bedrock, are ashy over loamy, and are on fans. Exfo soils are very shallow, are sandy-skeletal, and are on higher side slopes. Ninetysix soils are loamy-skeletal, very deep to hard bedrock, and are on footslopes of cliff or alluvial fans. Prill soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact and are on hills. Ritter soils are coarse-loamy, deep to hard bedrock, and are on footslopes or alluvial fans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native potential vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central Oregon. MLRA B-10. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Grant County, Oregon, 2003. The name is derived from Wylie Gulch located about 12 miles south of the town of Dayville.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - surface to 9 inches (A and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - from 2 to 16 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Paralithic contact - 16 inches (Crk horizon)
Particle size control section - from 2 to 16 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Soil moisture regime - xeric bordering on aridic