LOCATION KEWAKE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Vitrandic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Kewake ashy fine sand--on a 7 percent slope--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) ashy fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; violently effervescent; 25 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
C--5 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots; violently effervescent; 20 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; strongly alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
Ck1--10 to 20 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) ashy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse, many fine, and many very fine roots; violently effervescent; 15 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; secondary carbonates segregated as few weakly cemented nodules; strongly alkaline; diffuse wavy boundary.
Ck2--20 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) ashy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse, common fine, and common very fine roots; violently effervescent; 20 percent sand-size pumiceous ash grains; secondary carbonates segregated as few weakly cemented nodules; very strongly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; in the Warner Valley about 1.5 miles southeast of Crump Lake; in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of section 31, T. 38 R., R. 25 E.; USGS Calderwood Reservoir 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; approximately 42 degrees 14 minutes 02 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 49 minutes 14 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soils are dry throughout the soil moisture control section for more than 3/4 of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The soil is moist in the winter and spring and receives little or no additional moisture from May through October; The soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. from about mid-April through mid-November; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 53 degrees F.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 2 to 7 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 0 to 5 percent.
Effervescence - Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent - 1 to 15 percent.
Salinity (EC) - 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR) - 5 to 12.
Vitrandic intergrade properties - Volcanic glass content: 5 to 30 percent sand size pumiceous ash grains; Oxalate Al + 1/2 oxalate iron (estimated): 0.1 to 0.4 percent.
A horizon - Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
C and Ck horizons - Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Dominantly ashy fine sand but may contain thin discontinuous strata of ashy sand, ashy coarse sand, or ashy loamy fine sand.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline (up to pH 9.6).
COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kewake soils are on dunes on valley floors. These soils formed in eolian sand and volcanic ash. Slopes are 1 to 45 percent. Elevations range from 4,200 to 5,100 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 50 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Helphenstein, Icene, Ozamis, Reese, and Turpin soils. Helphenstein and Turpin soils are fine-loamy and have SAR greater than 13. Icene soils are fine-loamy and have salic horizons. Ozamis soils are fine-loamy, have mollic epipedons, and an aquic moisture regime. Reese soils are fine-loamy and have an aquic moisture regime. All of these soils are on bolson floors.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; very low surface runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Kewake soils are used for livestock grazing. Vegetation in the potential plant community is basin big sagebrush, fourwing saltbush, black greasewood, Indian ricegrass, and needleandthread.
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: This revision of July 2003 updates the taxonomic class from Mixed, mesic Typic Torripsamments. This revision is based on the described pumiceous sand grain content in the typical pedon and range in characteristics. Future study is needed to determine whether volcanic glass content is actually more than 30 percent, which would place in the series in the ashy, glassy family.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 5 inches (A horizon).
Vitrandic intergrade properties - The zone from the soil surface to 30 inches (A, C, and Ck1 horizons and part of the Ck2 horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Ck1 horizon and part of the Ck2 horizon).