LOCATION MOREHOUSE OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, nonacid, frigid Vitrandic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Morehouse ashy loamy fine sand--on an east-facing, convex slope of 3 percent under basin big sagebrush at an elevation of 4,315 feet--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on May 20, 1994, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 50 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine and medium sand-size (0.1 to 0.5 mm) pumiceous ash grains; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
AC--5 to 22 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 45 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine and medium sand-size (0.1 to 0.5 mm) pumiceous ash grains; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C--22 to 41 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 40 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine and medium sand-size (0.1 to 0.5 mm) pumiceous ash grains; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 50 inches thick)
2Bknb1--41 to 50 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; slightly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in common fine irregularly shaped masses; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary.
2Bknb2--50 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in many medium irregularly shaped masses; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, Oregon; in Fort Rock Valley about 9 miles northwest of the town of Christmas Valley; approximately 1,200 feet south of the northeast corner of section 20, T. 26 S., R. 16 E.; USGS Lane Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 43 degrees 18 minutes 17 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees 50 minutes 17 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - These soils are moist in winter and spring. They are warmer than 41 degrees F. from about April 15 to November 1, and they are dry within this period after about July 1; Aridic (torric) moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 44 to 47 degrees F.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 3 to 10 inches.
Depth to buried horizons - 40 to more than 60 inches.
Depth to bedrock - More than 60 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 5 to 10 percent;
Sand content: 80 to 95 percent sand with pumiceous ash grains comprising 30 to 50 percent of the sand-size material;
Rock fragments: Averages less than 15 percent, mainly fine pebbles.
A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent fine pebbles.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
C horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy loamy sand or gravelly ashy loamy coarse sand.
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent fine pebbles.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Volcanic glass content: 30 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
2Bknb horizons (when present)
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Ashy loam or ashy silt loam.
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent fine pebbles.
Consistence: Hard to very hard dry.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline (up to pH 11.0).
Salinity (EC): 2 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 2 to 13.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Cozetica series. Cozetica soils have alluvial stratification and have horizons with 5 to 30 percent pumice paragravel.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Morehouse soils are on stable dunes on lakebeds. These soils formed in eolian sands and volcanic ash over lacustrine deposits derived from volcanic rocks. The source of the volcanic ash is ancestral Mt. Mazama. Slopes are 0 to 35 percent. Elevations range from 4,200 to 4,800 feet. The climate is semiarid and characterized by cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches, the mean annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abert, Horning, and Tonor soils. Abert and Tonor soils have ashy loamy textures in the particle-size control section and are on adjacent nearly level lakebeds that are not mantled with eolian material. Horning soils have thin strata of ashy loamy texture in the particle-size control section and are influenced by diatom grains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low to medium surface runoff; rapid permeability (high or very high saturated hydraulic conductivity) in the upper part over moderate permeability (moderately high or high saturated hydraulic conductivity) in the buried horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Morehouse soils are used for irrigated cropland, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Alfalfa hay is the main crop. The vegetation in rangeland is basin big sagebrush, green rabbitbrush, inland saltgrass, gray rabbitbrush, Indian ricegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and basin wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Oregon. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 23.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County (Northern Part), Oregon, 2006. The series was first proposed in Lake County, Oregon in 1962.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 5 inches (A horizon).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 30 inches (A and AC horizons and part of the C horizon).
Buried horizons - The zone from 41 to 60 inches (2Bknb1 and 2Bknb2 horizons).
Particle-size control section and ashy substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (parts of the AC and C horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: The typical pedon at the series type location is reference sampled for the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S94OR-037-002 (pedon # 95P0058). Selected data are available for the 1st horizon and part of the 2nd horizon.