LOCATION KAWAIHAE HI

Established Series
Rev. RCH/HHS/MRK
05/2012

KAWAIHAE SERIES

The Kawaihae series consists of moderately deep well drained soils that formed in material weathered from basic volcanic ash over pahoehoe lava. Slopes range from 6 to 20 percent. The mean annual rainfall is about 330 millimeters (13 inches) and the mean annual temperature about 24 degrees C. (76 degrees F.)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, semiactive, isohyperthermic Sodic Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Kawaihae very cobbly very fine sandy loam, on a west facing , convex, 6 percent slope, under grasses and dryland forest, at an elevation of 113 meters (370 feet). Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures". pH measured with organic dyes. When described on August 2, 2004, the soil was slightly moist.)

A -- 0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); dark reddish brown (2.5YR 2/4) very cobbly very fine sandy loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) dry; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine irregular and interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 centimeters {2 to 4 inches} thick)

Bw -- 5 to 41 centimeters (2 to 16 inches); dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) silt loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) dry; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; nonsmeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.1); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 46 centimeters {8 to 18 inches} thick)

Bn1 -- 41 to 61 centimeters (16 to 24 inches); dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) dry; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; nonsmeary; many very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; common gray (10YR 5/1) patchy coatings on ped faces; 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3); gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 25 centimeters {6 to 10 inches} thick)

Bn2 -- 61 to 84 centimeters (24 to 33 inches); dusky red (10R 3/4) cobbly loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) dry; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; nonsmeary; few very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; many gray (10YR 5/1) patchy coatings on ped faces; 30 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (20 to 25 centimeters {8 to 10 inches} thick)

2R -- 84 centimeters (33 inches); hard, massive pahoehoe lava.

TYPE LOCATION: Island of Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii. In North Kohala, from Kawaihae Harbor drive north on Highway 270 to Honokoa gulch. Pedon is located 840 meters (2,756 feet) northeast of highway and 360 meters (1,181 feet) south of gulch at an elevation of 113 meters (370 feet). Kawaihae Quadrangle; lat. 20 degrees 3 minutes 22.0 seconds N. and long. 155 degrees 50 minutes 2.0 seconds W. Old Hawaiian Datum.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).
Mean annual soil temperature: 23 to 27 degrees C. (73 to 80 degrees F.)
Coarse fragments: 15 to 30 percent by volume of the pedon.

A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 2 or 3 moist and dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist and dry.
Texture: very fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam.
Structure: weak to moderate granular or platy.

Bw and Bn horizons
Hue: 10R or 2.5YR.
Value: 2 to 4 moist or dry.
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist or dry.
Texture: silt loam or loam.
Some pedons have calcium carbonate in the lower part of the B or as coatings on coarse fragments.
Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR) ranges from 10 to 20 and is typically 13 or more.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kawaihae soils are on low elevation, leeward slopes on Kohala Mountain at elevations from sea level to 610 meters (0 to 2000 feet). The soils are on all hillslope positions of gently sloping to moderately steep ash fields on pahoehoe lava flows 250,000 to 400,000 years old. Slope gradients range from 6 to 20 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from basic volcanic ash and basaltic lava. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 178 to 508 millimeters (7 to 20 inches), with most of the rainfall occurring from October through April. The mean annual pan evaporation ranges from 2,286 to 2,540 meters (90 to 100 inches). The mean annual temperature ranges from 23 to 27 degrees C. (73 to 80 degrees F.) The mean summer soil temperature and the mean winter soil temperature differ by less than 6 degrees C. (11 degrees F.)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hapuna, Mahukona, and Waikui series. Hapuna soils are medial-skeletal and have a petrocalcic horizon at 50 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches). Mahukona soils are silty clay loam and effervesce strongly with hydrogen peroxide. Waikui soils are medial-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is low to moderate. Permeability is moderately rapid in the soil.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for grazing. Present vegetation is kiawe
(Prosopis pallida), ilima (Sida fallax), piligrass (Heteropogon contortus), and uhaloa (Waltheria indica).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North and South Kohala District, Island of Hawaii; MLRA 157. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey, Territory of Hawaii; 1949.

REMARKS: Soil moisture - dry for more than half the year and not moist in any part for as long as 90 cumulative days in most years (aridic/torric moisture regime).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches) (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - 5 to 41 centimeters (2 to 16 inches) (Bw horizon).
Lithic contact - 84 centimeters (33 inches) (2R horizon).
Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR) ranges from 10 to 20 and is typically 13 or more.

ADDITIONAL DATA: SSIR No. 29, Hawaii, pp 3-5, 1976.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.