LOCATION PAIT               OR

PAIT SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Pait very cobbly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; 2 percent stones, 35 percent cobbles, and 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

A2--4 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent cobbles and 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 13 inches thick)

Bw--8 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent cobbles and 50 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (14 to 26 inches thick)

2C1--24 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles, 45 percent gravel (mostly fine gravel); neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

3C2--30 to 41 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

3C3--41 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; very soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 35 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; between Warner Valley and Hart Mountain about 0.5 mile southwest of the mouth of Potter Canyon; in the SE 1/4, of the NE 1/4, of the NE 1/4 of section 8, T. 36 S., R. 25 E.; USGS Hart Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; approximately 42 degrees 28 minutes 11 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 47 minutes 48 seconds west longitude, NAD27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture - Usually moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; These soils are dry for one-half to three-quarters of the time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is greater than 41 degrees F.; The soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. from about March 15 to about November 15; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.

Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.

Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 16 inches.

Depth to base of cambic horizon - 20 to 40 inches.

Depth to lithologic discontinuity - 20 to 40 inches.

Depth to carbonates - 40 to 55 inches; carbonates are considered to be inherited from parent material and are non-secondary.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 10 to 20 percent; Sand content: Averages over 50 percent sand; Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as basalt or tuff.

Other features - Dark-colored minerals impart lithochromic colors to a depth of 20 to 30 inches.

A horizon - Value: 4 through 6 dry; after mixing the upper 7 inches has dry value of 4 or 5.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 60 percent; 0 to 5 percent boulders, 0 to 30 percent stones, 0 to 40 percent cobbles, and 10 to 45 percent gravel.
Organic matter content: 1 to 4 percent.

Bw horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly clay loam, extremely stony sandy loam, or extremely gravelly loam.
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent boulders, 0 to 30 percent stones, 10 to 25 percent cobbles, and 25 to 55 percent gravel.
Organic matter content: less than 1 percent.
Other features: A few faint clay films are present in some pedons.

2C horizon - Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Very gravelly sandy loam, extremely cobbly loamy sand, or extremely stony loamy sand.
Clay content: 3 to 20 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent stones, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, and 20 to 50 percent (mostly fine) gravel.

3C horizons - Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: Very gravelly loamy sand, very cobbly sandy loam, or very stony sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent stones, 0 to 25 percent cobbles, and 15 to 45 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cheviot, Donica, Hencratt (T), Redcliff, Schwalbe, and Whichman series.

Cheviot soils average 20 to 45 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Donica soils are influenced by at least 20 percent volcanic glass and do not have horizons with carbonates below 40 inches. Hencratt soils are influenced by volcanic glass and are deep to paralithic contacts. Redcliff and Schwalbe soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Whichman soils are deep to lithic contacts.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pait soils are on fan remnants, lake terraces, and strath terraces. These soils formed in alluvium, colluvium, and lacustrine deposits derived from volcanic rocks such as basalt and tuff. Slopes are 1 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 4,350 to 5,000 feet. The climate is semiarid and characterized by cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches, the mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 90 to 110 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Icene, Mesman, and Riddleranch soils. Icene soils are fine-loamy, have salic horizons, and occur on lake terraces. Mesman soils are fine-loamy, have natric horizons, and have electrical conductivities greater than 16. Riddleranch soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts and have a frigid temperature regime.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; moderate permeability in the upper part over rapid permeability in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Pait soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. A few areas are used for irrigated hay and pasture. The native vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Thurber's needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County (Southern Part), Oregon, 1991.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 8 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).

Cambic horizon - The zone from 8 to 24 inches (Bw horizon).

Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (2C1 horizon and parts of the Bw and 3C2 horizons).

The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. Property data in NASIS validates the superactive activity class.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data from Oregon State University determined less than 1 percent organic matter in the Bw horizon of the typical pedon.