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Soils Map and Soil Series Descriptions

Linn County Area, Oregon (OR639)
Map Unit Symbol	Map Unit Name	Acres in AOI	Percent of AOI
18	Camas gravelly sandy loam	16.5	13.9%
19	Chapman loam	32.4	27.3%
21	Chehalis silty clay loam	30.7	25.8%
25	Cloquato silt loam	28.6	24.1%
73	Newberg fine sandy loam	6.5	5.5%
99	Wapato silty clay loam	3.9	3.3%
W	Water	0.1	0.1%
Totals for Area of Interest		118.7	100.0%

CHEHALIS SERIES

The Chehalis series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in silty and loamy mixed alluvium. Chehalis soils are nearly level to undulating flood plains. The mean annual precipitation is about 50 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 52 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Ultic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Chehalis silt loam - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many medium and fine roots; very porous; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

A--8 to 12 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; very porous; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 25 inches thick)

Bw1--12 to 24 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) heavy silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 26 inches thick)

Bw2--24 to 52 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, modetately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 30 inches thick)

C--52 to 72 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam with thin strata of fine sandy loam to silty clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 24 to more than 60 inches thick. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 45 to 60 consecutive days. The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 55 degrees F. The particle-size control section is silt loam or silty clay loam with 20 to 35 percent clay, 6.5 -7 percent sand, 58.5 percent silt and 0 to 5 percent rock fragments. It is about 7.5 percent organic matter in the top 30 cm. Hue is 2.5Y through 7.5YR.

The A or Ap horizons have value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. It has weak to strong subangular blocky or granular structure. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam or silty clay with 0 to 5 percent gravel. Reaction is slightly or moderately acid.

The Bw1 horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. The Bw2 horizon has value of 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. Dry value of 6 occurs below 24 inches in some pedons. Texture is heavy silt loam or silty clay loam with 0 to 5 percent gravel. It has moderate or strong subangular blocky structure. Reaction is neutral to moderately acid.

The C horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 2 to 4 dry. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam, loam, fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam and may be stratified. It has 0 to 15 percent gravel. It has weak or moderate structure or is structureless. Reaction is neutral to moderately acid.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Chehalis soils are on flood plains at elevations of 30 to 1,600 feet. They formed in silty and loamy mixed alluvium. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. These soils occur in a climate having cool, dry summers, and cool, wet winters. The average annual precipitation is 30 to 70 inches. The average January temperature is 39 to 40 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 64 to 67 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F. The average frost-free season (32 degrees F) is 150 to 235 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Abiqua, Camas, Chapman, Clato, Cloquato, Galvin, Godfrey, McBee, Newberg, Reed, Waldo and Wapato soils. Abiqua soils are fine family and are on terraces or alluvial fans. Clato soils are coarse-silty and have an ochric epipedon. Galvin soils do not have a mollic epipedon, have an argillic horizon, and are somewhat poorly drained. Godfrey and Reed soils are fine and have an aquic moisture regime. Camas soils are sandy-skeletal and are on bar positions. Chapman soils are fine-loamy and are on higher flood plains. Cloquato soils are coarse-silty. Newberg soils are
coarse-loamy and have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick. Waldo and Wapato soils are poorly drained and are in depressions and flood plains. McBee soils are in depressions on flood plains.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. Chehalis soils are subject to occasional flooding for brief periods from November to April.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mostly for cropland, hay and pasture.Native vegetation is Douglas fir, red alder, grand fir, western redcedar, bigleaf maple and Oregon oak with an understory of vine maple, trailing blackberry, western swordfern, western brackenfern, Oregon grape, wild ginger, violet, and western rattlesnake plantain.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Washington and Oregon; MLRA 1. Series is of moderate extent.

Soil Info

Summary by Map Unit — Linn County Area, Oregon (OR639)
Map unit symbol	Map unit name	Rating	Acres in AOI	Percent of AOI
18	Camas gravelly sandy loam	Farmland of statewide importance	1.1	9.8%
21	Chehalis silty clay loam	All areas are prime farmland	9.9	90.2%
Totals for Area of Interest			11.0	100.0%

Tables — Cation-Exchange Capacity (CEC-7) — Summary By Map Unit

Summary by Map Unit — Linn County Area, Oregon (OR639)
Map unit symbol	Map unit name	Rating (milliequivalents per 100 grams)	Acres in AOI	Percent of AOI
18	Camas gravelly sandy loam	15.0	1.1	9.8%
21	Chehalis silty clay loam	30.0	9.9	90.2%
Totals for Area of Interest			11.0	100.0%

Tables — pH (1 to 1 Water) — Summary By Map Unit

Summary by Map Unit — Linn County Area, Oregon (OR639)
Map unit symbol	Map unit name	Rating	Acres in AOI	Percent of AOI
18	Camas gravelly sandy loam	6.5	1.1	9.8%
21	Chehalis silty clay loam	6.1	9.9	90.2%
Totals for Area of Interest			11.0	100.0%

Tables — Parent Material Name — Summary By Map Unit

Summary by Map Unit — Linn County Area, Oregon (OR639)
Map unit symbol	Map unit name	Rating	Acres in AOI	Percent of AOI
18	Camas gravelly sandy loam	recent sandy and gravelly alluvium derived from mixed sources	1.1	9.8%
21	Chehalis silty clay loam	recent moderately fine textured alluvium derived from mixed sources	9.9	90.2%
Totals for Area of Interest			11.0	100.0%

Tables — Percent Clay — Summary By Map Unit

Summary by Map Unit — Linn County Area, Oregon (OR639)
Map unit symbol	Map unit name	Rating (percent)	Acres in AOI	Percent of AOI
18	Camas gravelly sandy loam	7.5	1.1	9.8%
21	Chehalis silty clay loam	35.0	9.9	90.2%
Totals for Area of Interest			11.0	100.0%

The Broader Impact Made by The Organic Growers Club

Not only did we help the OSU Organic Growers Club directly by harvesting various fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, leeks, eggplants, jalapenos etc. But we also helped clear and plant new crops for the winter season. Additionally settle hay on new beds to increase carbon and nitrogen in the soil was one of the many tasks we did throughout the service project. This helped the organization in many way not only by providing many hands to help harvest, but also bring word to many people that didn’t even know this club existed such as I. The harvested organically grown vegetables are sold on campus and the profits help the club grow new crops for the coming seasons. This provides a way for students and staff at OSU to get fresh, organic fruits and vegetables thus providing a healthier way of life.

What We Learned

What I learned from this project is that there are many organisms in soil, some can be good for the soil and some can be bad. A natural way to keep a healthy diversity of organism is through diversity of crops or plants grown. It creates diverse habitats for different predatory organism to keep other organisms in check therefore maintaining balance. I also didn't know that chicken contributed so much to organic farming through eating insects and pest. They also help fertilized the soil as well as aerating the soil by scratching around which increases pores and allows more water and air to be stored by the soil. The organic farmer also rotate crops in order to put more nitrogen into the soil for example growing legumes then compost it on top of the soil to put back nitrogen in the soil.

Soil Management

I think that there is always room for improvement in anything in life, and with this project, soil management is key to a productive cropping system.  For example, when we removed the tomato plants from their rows, there was a lot of organic matter left behind.  By cleaning up this mess, we were able to help out the soil so that it wouldn’t take so long for everything to decompose.  This process leaves behind plenty of nitrogen for future plants so that next year’s crops will be able to fully utilize those vital nutrients.  Also, we learned about many different types of soil conservation and management practices, including the following:

·         Controlling traffic on soil surfaces helps to reduce compaction, which can seriously affect and ultimately reduce aeration and water infiltration.

·         Cover crops can help to keep the soil anchored and covered in off-seasons so that the soil is not eroded by wind and rain.

·         Crop rotations for row crops alternate high-residue crops with lower-residue crops to increase the amount of plant and organic material left on the surface of the soil during the year to protect the soil from erosion.

·         Nutrient management can help to improve the fertility of the soil and the amount of organic matter content, which improves soil structure and function.

·         Tillage, especially reduced-tillage or no-till operations limit the amount of soil disturbance while cultivating a new crop and help to maintain plant residues on the surface of the soil for erosion protection and water retention.

Conections to soil

The Organic Farming project has a direct connection to soil because you can’t grow fruits and vegetables without it. In fact, we would be not be here today if there was no soil on earth. Soil makes this project work because, without soil there would be no OSU organic growers club student farm.