LOCATION BLUECANYON         OR

BLUECANYON SERIES

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bluecanyon very gravelly silt loam - rangeland, on a 50 percent convex northeast-facing slope at an elevation of 5,880 feet. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 8 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) very gravelly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine and few medium irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

AB--8 to 13 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; few fine and medium irregular pores; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)

Bw--13 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

R--17 inches; fractured argillite.

TYPE LOCATION: Baker County, Oregon, about 2,262 feet east and 754 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 7, T. 14 S., R. 37 E. (Latitude 44 degrees, 22 minutes, 14 seconds, Longitude 118 degrees, 13 minutes, 19 seconds)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil moisture - usually moist but are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the summer. Mean annual soil temperature 40 to 47 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature - 48 to 58 degrees F. Particle-size control section - 10 to 18 percent clay with 45 to 75 percent rock fragments. Mollic epipedon - 7 to 15 inches thick. Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches. Base saturation - 55 to 80 percent (NH4OAc) throughout solum.

A horizon hue - 10 YR. Value - 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry. Chroma - 2 or 3 moist and dry. Texture - GRV-SIL. Rock fragments - 35 to 55 percent total with 25 to 55 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. Clay - 10 to 18 percent. Reaction - 6.1 to 7.3.

AB horizon hue - 10 YR. Value - 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry. Chroma - 2 or 3 moist and dry. Texture - GRV-SIL, GRV-L. Rock fragments - 35 to 60 percent total with 30 to 50 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. clay - 10 to 18 percent. Reaction - 6.1 to 7.3.

Bw horizon hue - 10YR. Value - 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry. Chroma - 3 or 4 moist and dry. Texture - GRV-SIL, GRX-SIL, GRV-L, GRX-SIL. Rock fragments - 45 to 75 total with 40 to 70 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. clay - 10 to 18 percent. Reaction - 6.1 to 7.3.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Agassiz, Algomax (T), Antone, Bocker, Cederan, Dipcreek (T), Falula, Foxol, Gando, Gomine (T), Grink, Hogsby, Little Pole, Nayrib, Rexmont, Swanner and Van Wagoner. Agazziz soils are dry for 60 to 80 consecutive days and have a particle-size control section (PSCS) dominated by limestone rock fragments and having 18 to 35 percent clay. Algomax soils are dry for more than 90 consecutive days, have a PSCS dominated by ardesite or basalt stones and cobbles, and lack a cambic horizon. Anatone soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days, have a PSCS with greater than 18 percent clay and dominated by basalt rock fragments. Bocker soils have bedrock at 4 to 10 inches, have a PSCS with 18 to 27 percent clay and dominated by basalt rock fragments. Cederan soils are dry for more than 90 consecutive days and have a solum dominated by gravel size ignimbrite rock fragments. Dipcreek soils have a PSCS averaging more than 60 percent sandstone rock fragments with the upper 10 inches of the solum dominated by cobble size sandstone rock fragments. Valula soils have a Bk horizon with carbonate accumulation at a depth of 7 to 12 inches. Foxol soils have a mean annual soil temperature (MSST) of 59 to 69 degrees F., hue of 7.5YR or 5YR in the Bw horizon, and a PSCS dominated by Quartzite rock fragments. Gando soils have carbonate accumulation at a depth of 7 to 14 inches and are mildly to moderately alkaline. Gomine soils have a MSST of 59 to 62 degrees F. and a PSCS with 18 to 27 percent clay. Grink soils are dry for more than 90 consecutive days and have a calcic horizon. Hogsby soils have an ustic moisture regime. Little Pole soils have a PSCS averaging more than 18 percent clay, dominated by andesite rock fragments, and a base saturation of more than 80 percent. Nayrib soils have a MSST of 60 to 63 degrees F. and a depth to bedrock and thickness of the mollic epipedon of 6 to 10 inches. Rexmont soils have a PSCS with 18 to 27 percent clay and dominated by limestone rock fragments and are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days. Swanner soils have a Bk horizon and a solum dominated by channer and flagstone shaped rhyolite rock fragments. Van Wagoner soils lack a cambic horizon and have a MSST of 63 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluecanyon soils are on metastable side slopes and ridges of mountains and foothills. Elevations are 3,800 to 6,400 feet. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. The soil is formed in colluvium and residuum derived from argillite and other metasedimentary or metavolcanic rocks. The climate is characterized by cold moist winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 35 inches and the mean annual temperature is 38 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 45 to 85 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Analulu, Koski (T) and Vogel (T) soils. Analulu soils are moderately deep, have volcanic ash influence and are on side slopes of mountains. Koski soils are moderately deep and are on side slopes of mountains. Vogel soils are on forested side slopes of mountains and do not have a mollic epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, permeability is moderate.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed and recreation. The native vegetation is western juniper, curl leaf mountain mahogany, big sagebrush, arrowleaf balsamroot, lupine, creamy buckwheat, desert parsley, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, sandbergs bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southern Blue Mountains, Oregon, MLRA 43. The soils are of limited extent.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wallowa County, Oregon 1998. The name is derived from a drainage in Baker County.

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

Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 13 inches (A and AB horizon).

Cambic horizon - from 13 to 17 inches (Bw horizon).

Particle-size control section - from 10 to 17 inches (lower AB horizon and Bw horizon).

The dominant USFS plant community is JUOC/FEID-AGSP; others may include JUOC/ARTR/FEID, ARTR/FEID, and FEID/KOCR.