LOCATION KETTLECREEK ORTentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kettlecreek extremely gravelly ashy loam - forested, on a 68 percent northing-facing slope at an elevation of 3,600 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles twigs and moss
A--1 to 20 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) extremely gravelly ashy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and few coarse roots; common fine and few medium irregular pores; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 19 inches thick)
Bw1--20 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium, and few coarse roots; common fine irregular pores; 55 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (11 to 14 inches thick)
Bw2--31 to 45 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium, and few coarse roots; few fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (11 to 16 inches thick)
BC--45 to 56 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt irregular boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
R--56 inches; fractured argillite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon
Section 2 (SE 1/4, SE 1/4, NW 1/4), T. 8 S., R. 43 E.
Latitude: 44 degrees, 53 minutes, 57 seconds N.
Longitude: 117 degrees, 24 minutes, 46 seconds W.
UTM coordinates: zone 11; north 4,971,600 meters; east 467,420 meters; NAD27
USGS Quadrangle: Balm Creek Reservoir
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: frigid regime
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 40 to 44 degrees F
Mean Summer Soil Temperature: 49 to 54 degrees F
Mean Winter Soil Temperature: 30 to 35 degrees F
Soil Moisture: xeric regime; dry 60 to 75 consecutive days
Particle-size Control Section: 10 to 40 inches below mineral soil surface
clay content, average: 5 to 18 percent
rock fragment content, average: 65 to 75 percent
Diagnostic Horizons and Features:
vitrandic subgroup properties: from the mineral surface; 8 to 19 inches thick
Al+1/2Fe (ammonium oxalate): 0.3 to 0.9 percent
P retention: 20 to 40 percent
glass content in the 0.02-2.0 mm fraction: 5 to 15 percent
mollic epipedon: 12 to 19 inches thick
cambic horizon: 12 to 30 inches thick
ultic subgroup feature: base saturation less than 75 percent in upper Bw horizon
lithic contact, depth from mineral soil surface: 40 to 60 inches
A horizon: may include AB horizon in some pedons:
color, moist: 10YR 2/2, 3/2
color, dry: 7.5YR 3/2; 10YR 3/4, 4/2, 4/3
texture: GRV-ASHY-SIL, GRX-ASHY-SL, GRX-ASHY-SIL, GRX-ASHY-L
clay content: 4 to 10 percent
rock fragment content: 35 to 65 percent
gravel: 25 to 60 percent
cobbles: 5 to 20 percent
stones: 0 to 10 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
Bw horizon;
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/4; 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4
color, dry: 7.5YR 4/4; 10YR 4/4, 5/2, 5/4
texture: GRX-SIL, GRX-SL
clay content: 5 to 14 percent
rock fragment content: 65 to 80 percent
gravel: 40 to 75 percent
cobbles: 5 to 20 percent
stones: 0 to 15 percent
base saturation (sum of cations): 55 to 75 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
BC horizon; may include C horizon in some pedons:
color, moist: 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4; 10YR 3/4, 4/4
color, dry: 7.5YR 5/4; 10YR 4/6, 5/3, 5/4, 5/6
texture: GRX-SL, GRX-SIL, GRX-L
clay content: 5 to 18 percent
rock fragment content: 65 to 85 percent
gravel: 40 to 75 percent
cobbles: 5 to 25 percent
stones: 0 to 15 percent
reaction: slightly acid to neutral; pH: 6.1 to 7.3
COMPETING SERIES:
Bearspring: very deep (>60 inches) in granitic colluvium; particle-size control section averages 35 to 50 percent rock fragments
Bigelk: very deep (>60 inches) in mixed till; mixed ash mantle, 7 to 14 inches thick (35 to 50 percent glass content) with discontinuity between mantle and buried cambic horizon; rock fragments are subrounded or rounded; dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer
Cassal: deep (40 to 60 inches) to densic contact (dense till); discontinuity between ashy layer and till substratum; distinct redoximorphic features at 30 to 45 inches
Cherrycreek: deep (40 to 60 inches) to a lithic contact (basalt); does not have an organic (O) horizon above surface of mineral soil (not forested); mixed mantle of volcanic ash and loess (glass content 15 to 30 percent), 35 to 50 inches thick; mollic epipedon is 20 to 35 inches thick
Deck: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (metavolcanic rock); mixed volcanic ash mantle (glass content 30 to 55 percent) with discontinuity between mantle and buried cambic horizon; particle-size control section averages 20 to 34 percent clay
Eastpine: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (metasedimentary rock); dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer
Egyptcreek: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (welded tuff); dry 75 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Fredonyer: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to lithic contact (andesite or basalt); does not have organic horizon above surface of mineral soil (not forested); mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches thick; dry more than 90 consecutive days in summer
Golfer: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a paralithic contact (weathered granite)
Grubcreek: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (andesite, andesitic basalt or basalt); particle-size control section averages 18 to 33 percent clay
Longs: deep (40 to 60 inches) to a lithic contact (basalt); mollic epipedon is 20 to 45 inches thick; subsoil has faint clay films on ped faces; particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay; dry 45 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Midpeak: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (breccia); mixed volcanic ash mantle (glass content 5 to 20 percent) with discontinuity between mantle and buried cambic horizon
Mineral: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (granitic rocks); rock fragments are sub-rounded or rounded
Peahke: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a paralithic contact; volcanic ash mantle (glass content 20 to 30 percent), 7 to 14 inches thick; particle-size control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay, and has 60 to 70 percent channers; dry 45 to 60 consecutive days in summer
Piersonte: very deep (>60 inches) in colluvium from shale; mollic epipedon is 20 to 35 inches thick; particle-size control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay, rock fragments are mostly shale channers; dry 60 to 90 consecutive days in summer
Porch: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to lithic contact (argillite)
Scoap: very deep (>60 inches) in mixed till or outwash materials; mollic epipedon is 20 to 30 inches thick
Shalrock: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (sandstone); mixed volcanic ash mantle (glass content 5 to 15 percent); with discontinuity between mantle and substratum
Shilling: very deep (greater than 60 inches) deep in colluvium from basalt; particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay; dry 45 to 75 consecutive days in summer
Umatilla: very deep (> 60 inches) in colluvium from basalt; mollic epipedon is 20 to 30 inches thick (mollic colors throughout); discontinuity between ashy layer and subsoil horizons; particle-size control section averages 25 to 35 percent clay
Webbgulch: moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic contact (andesitic basalt or basalt)
Yellcreek: very deep (>60 inches) in mixed colluvium; minor volcanic ash influence (glass content 5 to 20 percent) with discontinuity between volcanic ash influence zone and substratum
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform: backslopes of mountains
Slope gradient: 30 to 90 percent
Parent material: colluvium with minor influence of volcanic ash
Lithology: argillite and other metasedimentary rocks
Elevation: 3,600 to 5,000 feet
Climate: cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers
Mean annual precipitation: 20 to 40 inches
Mean annual air temperature: 40 to 44 degrees F
Frostfree period: 40 to 110 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Analulu: on convex backslopes and ridges, moderately deep to bedrock with a minor influence of volcanic ash, under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine or grand fir forest
Blackgulch: on moderately dissected backslopes, shallow to bedrock with a mollic epipedon and minor influence of volcanic ash, under ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir forest, elk sedge and common snowberry
Deck: on plateau crests and backslopes; moderately deep to lithic contact; mollic epipedon with a mixed mantle of volcanic ash and loamy-skeletal cambic; under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, common snowberry, mallow ninebark, pinegrass and elk sedge
Eastpine: on ridges, shoulders and backslopes; moderately deep to metasedimentary rock; mollic epipedon with small amount of volcanic ash and loamy-skeletal cambic horizon; under grand fir, Douglas-fir, western larch, Rocky Mountain maple, birchleaf spiraea and pinegrass
Flycreek: on toeslopes, moderately deep to acidic tuff with 14 to 22 inches of volcanic ash over clayey subsoil, under grand fir, western larch, twinflower, prince's pine, big huckleberry, roundleaf violet, sidebells pyrola and pinegrass
Hondu: on concave backslopes and footslopes, very deep soil with a thin volcanic ash mantle over loamy-skeletal colluvium and residuum from argillite; under grand fir
Payraise: on backslopes; in very deep colluvium with thin volcanic ash mantle and loamy-skeletal argillic horizon under grand fir, pinegrass and birchleaf spiraea
Porch: on lower backslopes and footslopes; moderately deep to argillite; mollic epipedon with minor amount of volcanic ash, under Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, curlleaf mountain mahogany, common snowberry, birchleaf spiraea, pinegrass and elk sedge
Vogel: on convex shoulders and backslopes; shallow to argillite bedrock with small amount of volcanic ash mixed in loamy-skeletal colluvium; under open ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forest
Wintercanyon: on convex summits and shoulders; shallow to metasedimentary rock under open canopy Douglas-fir, and ponderosa pine with common snowberry, elk sedge and pinegrass
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY:
Drainage: well drained
Permeability: moderate
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use: watershed, wildlife habitat, timber production, livestock grazing and recreation
Native vegetation: Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, birchleaf spiraea, creeping Oregongrape, common snowberry, Rocky Mountain maple, woods strawberry, bigleaf sandwort, common yarrow, showy aster, lanceleaf sedum, large flowered collomia, elk sedge and mountain brome
Plant Association: PSME/SPBE (Douglas-fir/birchleaf spiraea), may include PSME/SYAL, (Douglas-fir/common snowberry)
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: MLRA 43c; Blue Mountains, Northeastern Oregon
Extent: small
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Wallow-Whitman National Forest, Oregon 2008. The name is from a stream in Baker County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon: 1 to 20 inches; A horizon
cambic horizon: 20 to 45 inches; Bw1, Bw2 horizons
vitrandic subgroup properties: 1 to 20 inches; A horizon
particle-size control section: 11 to 41 inches; A, Bw1, Bw2 horizons
lithic contact: 56 inches, fractured argillite: R horizon