LOCATION WISHER ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wisher ashy silty clay loam, at an elevation of 1,180 meters, cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 12 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong medium granular structure, slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2). (6 to 20 cm thick)
Bt1--12 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine and medium tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent distinct pressure faces; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4). (7 to 67 cm thick)
Bt2--25 to 73 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) ashy silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine interstitial and common fine tubular pores; 50 percent distinct pressure faces; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4). (7 to 100 cm thick)
BC--73 to 152 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Malheur County, Oregon; approximately 1.2 miles SE of Arock, Oregon; 457850 UTM easting, 4748057 UTM northing, zone 11 NAD83 on the USGS Arock 7.5 minute quad, latitude 42 degrees, 53 minutes, 2 seconds north and longitude 117 degrees, 30 minutes, 58 seconds west NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - The soil moisture control section is dry throughout in late summer and fall and moist in winter and spring; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Soil temperature - Mean annual temperature is 8 to 9 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 50 cm, includes the upper part of the argillic horizon.
Other Features - Relict redoximorphic features are present throughout the profile in some pedons.
Control section - Clay content - 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent, mainly gravel.
A horizon -
Value: 5 or 6 dry and 2 to 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline.
Volcanic glass: Volcanic glass is estimated to range from 30 to 50 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction.
Bt horizons -
Value: 3 to 6 dry and 2 to 4 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 6 dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy silty clay loam, clay loam. Thin subhorizons of clay are in some pedons.
Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through moderately alkaline.
Volcanic glass: Volcanic glass is estimated to range from 5 to 30 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction.
BC horizon -
Value: 5 to 7 dry and 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and 2 to 4 moist.
Texture: Clay loam, silty clay loam, loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent, mainly gravel.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Meadowridge (OR), Lequerica (OR), and Toler (WA) soils. The Meadowridge soils have Bk horizons at depths of 64 to 112 cm and have 5 to 20 percent glass in the A horizon. The Lequerica soils have 20 to 80 percent durinodes. The Toler soils are 50 to 100 cm to hard bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wisher soils are on stream terraces. These soils formed in volcanic ash and loess over old mixed alluvium. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent. Elevations are 1,170 to 1,185 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 280 mm; mean annual temperature is 7 to 8 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bogusrim, Clarksbutte, Goose Creek, Silverash, Sheepsprings, and the competing Lequerica soils. Bogusrim and Clarksbutte soils are 50 to 100 cm to a duripan. Goose Creek series has a mollic epipedon greater than 25 cm thick. Silverash and Sheepsrings soils are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, medium runoff, slow and very slow permeability, moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cropland, rangeland, and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is barley. Non-farmed areas have Wyoming big sagebrush, basin wildrye, and Sandberg's bluegrass vegetation.
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 25 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from about 12 to 73 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Vitritorrandic feature - Aridic moisture regime bordering on Xeric. Volcanic glass is 30 to 50 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction in the zone from 0 to 12 cm (Ap horizon). Volcanic glass is 5 to 30 percent of the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction in the zone from 12 to 73 cm (Bt horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 12 to 73 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).