LOCATION KARTAR                  WA

Established Series
Rev. SBC/RJE/TLA
01/2011

KARTAR SERIES


The Kartar series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in mixed volcanic ash over glacial till and glacial outwash. The Kartar soils are on till plains and outwash terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 65 percent. The mean annual air temperature is about 48 degrees F, and the mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Kartar ashy sandy loam - on a 5 percent southeast facing slope at 2,410 feet elevation, under a ponderosa pine canopy. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed pine needles; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--1 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)

Bw--7 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)

2BC--18 to 23 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)

2C1--23 to 43 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic, few fine roots; common fine pores; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (16 to 27 inches thick)

2C2--43 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common fine pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation, Okanogan County, Washington; 2,100 feet north and 1,000 feet east of southwest corners sec. 7 T. 31 N., R. 30 E., W.M.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: usually moist but are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; xeric soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F.

Rock fragments: weighted average of 15 to 35 percent in the particle-size control section.

Depth to the 2C horizon (sandy material): 20 to 30 inches.

Vitrandic properties: The upper 10 to 30 inches of the solum has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.20 to 1.50 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples.

Clay content: 3 to 8 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
A horizon

Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist

Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist

Bw horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: ashy sandy loam or ashy fine sandy loam and is gravelly or cobbly in the lower part
Gravel: 5 to 30 percent
Cobbles: 0 to 10 percent

Some pedons lack the BC horizon.

2C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Upper part:
Texture: sand or loamy sand and is gravelly or cobbly
Gravel: 15 to 35 percent
Cobbles: 0 to 15 percent
Lower part:
Texture: fine sand, sand, or coarse sand and is gravelly, very gravelly, or extremely gravelly in some pedons
Gravel: 5 to 70 percent
Cobbles: 0 to 15 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Clayton, Green Bluff and Nevat series. Clayton and Green Bluff soils are less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Nevat soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days and are 40 to 60 inches deep to a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kartar soils are on till plains and glacial outwash terraces. Slopes range from 0 to 65 percent. Kartar soils formed in mixed volcanic ash over glacial till and glacial outwash. Elevations are 1,000 to 4,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches. The mean January temperature is about 25 degrees F, the mean July temperature is about 69 degrees F, and the mean annual air temperature is about 45 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Donavan, Hallcreek, Hudnut, Leader, Springdale, and Spens, soils. Donavan soils have a mollic epipedon and are moderately deep to a densic contact. Hallcreek, Springdale, and Spens soils are sandy-skeletal. Leader soils have less than 10 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and are coarse-loamy over sandy. Hudnut soils are similar, they are mixed and superactive and are 40 to over 60 inches to sandy material.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the solum, very rapid permeability in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, livestock grazing, irrigated and dryland cropland, hay and pasture, and wildlife habitat are the principal uses. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, arrowleaf balsamroot, and common yarrow. North slope phases support Douglas-fir.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Washington; MLRA 6 and 43A. The soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Okanogan County, Washington, (Okanogan County Area) 1972.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are:
Ochric epipedon from 7 to 18 inches
Cambic horizon from 7 to 18 inches
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.