LOCATION SAGEMOOR WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Sagemoor silt loam- cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures).
Ap--0 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; noncalcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Bw--9 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; noncalcareous; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
2Bk--19 to 25 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam and very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; the silt loam is hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; the very fine sandy loam is slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; thinly laminated and stratified; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; violent effervescence, lime concentrated in seams in the surface of plates; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
2C1--25 to 34 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam and very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; the silt loam is hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; the very fine sandy loam is slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; thinly laminated and stratified; few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2C2--34 to 40 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam and very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; the silt loam is hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; the very fine sandy loam is slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; thinly laminated; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2C3--40 to 46 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2C4--46 to 60 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; thinly laminated; few very fine tubular pores; strong effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Washington; about 7 miles north of Warden; 2,400 feet north and 700 feet east of the northwest corner, section 7, T.18N., R.30E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 50 to 56 degrees F. These soils are usually dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches thick. Depth to lime ranges from 14 to 24 inches. The particle-size control section contains less than 15 percent fine sand and coarser sand and no rock fragments.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Reaction is neutral or moderately alkaline.
The 2Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7 dry and 3 or 4 moist. It is dominantly silt loam and very fine sandy loam, but also contains very thin strata of silt and very fine sand.
The 2C horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is silt loam or very fine sandy loam, but also contains very thin strata of silt or very fine sand. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Barrymore, Lalos, Owyhee, Shano, Stingal and Warden series. Barrymore soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Lalos, and Stingal soils are calcareous in all parts. Owyhee soils have a calcic horizon. Shano soils have a silt loam particle size control section and lack stratification. Warden soils lack slowly permeable laminated sediments in the particle size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sagemoor soils occur on dissected terraces at elevations of 400 to 1,300 feet. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. These soils formed in loess over thinly laminated silty lacustrine sediments. They occur in an arid climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 9 inches. The average January temperature is about 27 degrees F.; the average July temperature is about 71 degrees F.; and the average annual temperature is 50 to 53 degrees F. The frost free season is 135 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Shano and Warden soils. Shano soils are on uplands and hills and are silt loam in the particle-size control section. Warden soils are on uplands and lack laminated sediments in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly for irrigated crop production. A few areas are used for dryland crop production or are used for livestock grazing.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington, Oregon, and southern Idaho. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Washington, 1914.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 9 inches and a cambic horizon from 9 to 19 inches. The particle-size control section is the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw, 2Bk, 2C1, and 2C2 horizons). This soil is reclassified based on amendment 17 of Soil Taxonomy.