LOCATION ESQUATZEL               WA+OR

Established Series
Rev. ARH/RJE/TLA
09/2019

ESQUATZEL SERIES

Landscape--valleys
Landform--flood plains
Slope--0 to 5 percent
Parent material--silty alluvium
Mean annual precipitation--about 230 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 11 degrees C
Depth class--very deep, deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--aridic
Soil temperature regime--mesic
Soil moisture subclass--xeric

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Torrifluventic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Esquatzel silt loam, cultivated

Ap1--0 to 5 cm; silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary

Ap2--5 to 18 cm; silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary

AB--18 to 74 cm; silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary

Bk1--74 to 112 cm; silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary

Bk2--112 to 175 cm; silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8)

TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Washington, about 30 m north and 15 m east of the southwest corner of section 16, T. 17 N., R. 30 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--10 to 13 degrees C
Moisture control section--continuously dry in all parts between depths of 10 and 30 cm from about May 1 to October 1
Thickness of mollic epipedon--25 to 50 cm
Depth to free carbonates--30 to 122 cm

Ap horizon
Chroma--2 or 3 dry or moist
Reaction--6.6 to 7.8
Combined thickness--10 to 20 cm

AB horizon
Value--5 or 6 dry
Chroma--2 to 4 dry or moist
Reaction--7.4 to 8.4
Organic matter content--0.5 to 1.5 percent, decreases as depth increases
Thickness--23 to 64 cm

Bk horizon
Value--5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--2 to 4 dry or moist
Texture--dominantly silt loam or very fine sandy loam; silt loam or stratified silt loam to fine sandy loam below a depth of 100 cm
Reaction--7.4 to 8.4
Combined thickness--50 to 115 cm
Bk1 horizon 25 to 50 cm
Bk2 63 cm (this pedon)

COMPETING SERIES:
McDole--effervescent throughout

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--90 to 880 m
Climate--semiarid; warm, dry summers; cool, moist winters
Mean annual precipitation--150 to 310 mm
Mean January air temperature---2 degrees C
Mean July air temperature--22 degrees C
Mean annual air temperature--9 to 12 degrees C
Frost-free season--130 to 200 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Burke--on uplands; no mollic epipedon
Scooteney--on alluvial fans and terraces; no mollic epipedon
Ritzville--on hills and canyon walls; cambic horizon; regular distribution of organic matter as depth increases
Shano--on uplands; no mollic epipedon
Willis--on uplands; cambic horizon; regular distribution of organic matter as depth increases

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high
Frequency of flooding--rare, occasional

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--production of nonirrigated small grain, irrigated row crops, and hay and pasture
Native vegetation--mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and giant wildrye

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington and eastern Oregon; MLRAs 7 and 8; moderate extent

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Washington; 1914

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizon in this pedon
*Mollic epipedon--zone from the surface to a depth of about 25 cm (when mixed, based on organic matter content)

2/2016--This official series description was updated according to SSR1 Technical Note 11--Content and Format of Official Series Descriptions (revised 12/2015). Most of the changes were in formatting; no major technical changes were made.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.