Jory: Oregon's State Soil
Did you know every state has a state soil? A state soil is a soil that has special significance to a particular state. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service maintains a list of these state soils.
In Oregon, our state soil is Jory. The Jory series consists of very deep, well-drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from basic igneous rock. These soils are in the foothills surrounding the Willamette Valley. They have been mapped on more than 300,000 acres in western Oregon. They are named after Jory Hill, Marion County, Oregon.
Jory soils generally support forest vegetation, dominantly Douglas fir and Oregon white oak. They are very productive forest soils. Many areas have been cleared and are used for agricultural crops.
The Jory soils and the climate of the Willamette Valley provide an ideal setting for the production of many crops, including Christmas trees, various berries, filberts (hazelnuts), sweet corn, wheat, and many varieties of grass seed. The soils are suitable for the grapes used in the expanding wine industry.
Growing urbanization of the Willamette Valley is resulting in a great deal of pressure for development in areas with Jory soils.
This information is from the Jory soil fact sheet produced by the USDA NRCS.
