LOCATION WHISKEYGULCH OR
Tentative Series
IRD. SCW/KLM
02/2025
WHISKEYGULCH SERIES
Landscape--mountains, hillslopes
Landform--hillslopes, footslopes
Slope--20 to 70 percent
Parent material--colluvium and residuum derived from serpentine or other ultramafic rocks
Mean annual precipitation--about 430 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 8 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--xeric
Soil temperature regime--mesic
Soil moisture subclass--typic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, magnesic, mesic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Whiskeygulch gravelly loam - woodland, on a 62 percent slope at an elevation of 1158 meters. (When described on October 6, 2014, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 5 cm; slightly decomposed needles and twigs
A1--5 to 30 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few fine and common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary
A2--30 to 58 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium, few fine, and common very fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary
AB--58 to 97 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly sandy clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary
Bw--97 to 152 cm; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very gravelly clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 15 percent cobbles and 30 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9)
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Oregon, about 8 km south of John Day, about 700 m east and 180 m north of the SW corner of sec. 13, T. 14 S., R. 31 E.; Canyon Mountain USGS 7.5' Quad; latitude 44.3505900, longitude -118.9433700, WGS84 Datum (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--8 to 11 degrees C
Soil moisture--usually moist, but are dry between depths of 10 to 30 cm for 45 to 70 consecutive days during the 4 months following the summer solstice
Depth to the lithic contact--greater than 150 cm
Mollic epipedon--50 to 76 cm
Particle size control section
*Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
*Total rock fragment content--35 to 60 percent
*Rock fragment type--serpentine or other ultramafic rock
A1 horizon
*Hue--10YR moist or dry
*Value--2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
*Chroma--2 or 3 moist and dry.
*Fine-earth texture--loam, coarse sandy loam
*Clay content--10 to 25 percent
*Sand content--40 to 70 percent
*Organic matter content--2 to 4 percent
*Total rock fragment content--10 to 30 percent
*Gravel content--10 to 30 percent
*Cobble content--0 to 20 percent
*Reaction--slightly alkaline
*Thickness--15 to 30 cm
A2 horizon
*Hue--10YR moist or dry
*Value--2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
*Chroma--2 or 3 moist and dry.
*Fine-earth texture--coarse sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam
*Clay content--12 to 30 percent
*Sand content--40 to 70 percent
*Organic matter content--2 to 4 percent
*Total rock fragment content--10 to 45 percent
*Gravel content--10 to 30 percent
*Cobble content--5 to 20 percent
*Reaction--slightly alkaline
*Thickness--5 to 20 cm
AB Horizon
*Hue--10YR moist or dry
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry
*Chroma--2 or 3 moist and dry
*Fine-earth texture--coarse sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam
*Clay content--20 to 30 percent
*Sand content--40 to 70 percent
*Organic matter content--1 to 3 percent
*Total rock fragment content--35 to 60 percent
*Gravel content--10 to 30 percent
*Cobble content--10 to 30 percent
*Reaction--slightly alkaline
*Thickness--0 to 40 cm
Bw horizon
*Hue--10YR or 2.5Y moist or dry
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry
*Chroma--2 or 3 moist and dry
*Fine-earth texture--coarse sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
*Clay content--10 to 30 percent
*Sand content--40 to 60 percent
*Organic matter content--1 to 3 percent
*Total rock fragment content--35 to 70 percent
*Gravel content--20 to 60 percent
*Cobble content--10 to 30 percent
*Reaction--slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
*Thickness--0 to 40 cm
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--910 to 1400 m
Climate--cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation--380 to 460 mm
Mean annual air temperature--7 to 10 degrees C
Frost-free period--80 to 120 days
Lithology-- serpentine and other ultramafic rocks of the Miller Mountain Melange of the Baker Terrane
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Grell--occur on south facing backslopes; 25 to 50 cm to serpentine bedrock
Lemonex--occur on north facing backslopes and footslopes; average greater than 35% clay in the PSCS
Stussi--occur on backslopes and footslopes; 50 to 100 cm to serpentine bedrock
Widows--occur on low hills and benches; 25 to 50 cm to serpentine bedrock; average greater than 35% clay and greater than 35% coarse fragments in the PSCS
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage--Well drained
Saturation during normal years--none
Flooding--none
Ponding--none
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat
Potential native vegetation--ponderosa pine, antelope bitterbrush, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East central Oregon, MLRA 10. The series is of small extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES PROPOSED: Grant County, Oregon, 2015. The name is derived from Whiskey Gulch located about 1 km south of Canyon City.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are
Mollic epipedon (pachic)--5 to 58 cm (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon--97 to 152 cm (Bw horizon)
PSCS--25 to 100 cm (lower part of A1 horizon, all of A2 and AB horizons, and the upper part of Bw horizon)
Clay increase is gradual and typically does not exceed 1.2 times more than the previous horizon. Evidence of translocation of clays have not been observed.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.