LOCATION LABOUNTY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, mesic Aquandic Endoaqualfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Labounty silt loam - on a 1 percent northeast facing slope in grass pasture at 180 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; NaF pH 10.2; medium acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 11 inches thick)
E1g--10 to 13 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, white (2.5Y 8/2) dry; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; NaF pH 9.4; medium acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary.
E2g--13 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) and white (2.5Y 8/2) dry; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; medium acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary.
E3g--16 to 22 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) loam, white (5Y 8/2) dry; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the E2 horizon is 5 to 20 inches.)
Btg1--22 to 28 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and olive gray (5Y 5/2) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) and white (5Y 8/2) dry; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6 and 10YR 6/8) dry; moderate thick platy structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
Btg2--28 to 35 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) and light olive gray (5Y 6/2) loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; moderate thick platy structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 6 to 20 inches.)
Cg--35 to 60 inches; gray (5Y 5/l) loam, light gray (5Y 6/l) dry; moderate medium blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; very few very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Whatcom County, Washington; about 7 miles northeast of Bellingham; 20 feet north and 500 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 30, T. 39 N., R. 4 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. Thickness of the solum is 2$ to 40 inches. By weighted average the control section has 18 to 35 percent clay and 0 to 10 percent pebbles, although individual horizons contain 0 to 25 percent pebbles.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Structure is weak or moderate. The horizon is mottled in some pedons. Reaction is strongly acid or medium acid.
The Eg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 through 6 moist, 6 through 8 dry. It is loam or silt loam. Structure is weak or moderate. Dry consistence is slightly hard or hard. Reaction is medium acid or slightly acid.
The Btg horizons have hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 4 through 6 moist and 6 through 8 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Mottles have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 6 through 8 moist and dry. It is loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Structure is weak or moderate, platy, subangular blocky, or the soil is massive. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Cg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lantz and Whitehorn soils and the similar Buckley and Gumboot series. Lantz soils have an ochric epipedon. Buckley and Gumboot soils lack an argillic horizon. Whitehorn soils are gravelly loam, gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly sand loam immediately above the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Labounty soils are on glaciomarine drift plains and occupy the depressional position in the kame-kettle topography at elevations of 50 to 600 feet. These soils formed in glaciomarine drift with an admixture of loess and volcanic ash. Labounty soils are in a marine climate with warm dry, summers and cool, moist winters. Snow cover is intermittent. Average annual precipitation is 35 to 55 inches, which falls mostly between October and May. Mean January temperature is 36 degrees F; mean July temperature is 62 degrees F; and the mean annual temperature is 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 150 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hale, Pangborn, Shalcar, Squalicum, Whatcom, and Whitehorn soils. Hale soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Pangborn and Shalcar soils are Histosols. Squalicum soils are have a xeric moisture regime and a spodic horizon. Whatcom soils have a xeric moisture regime and a spodic horizon. Whitehorn soils are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow or ponded runoff; moderately slow permeability. Water table is ponded to 1 foot during November through May unless artificially drained.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are drained and used mainly for pasture and hay. Undrained areas are used for woodland. Native vegetation is western redcedar, paper birch, red alder, western hemlock, and Douglas-fir with an understory of western brackenfern, western swordfern, salmonberry, red huckleberry, sweetscented bedstraw, skunkcabbage, trailing blackberry, and Douglas spirea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Washington. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whatcom County, Washington, l94l.
REMARKS: This draft reflects a change in classification from fine-loamy, mixed, nonacid, mesic Typic Humaquepts to fine-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Umbraqualfs. Characterization data are available on these soils. Laboratory number S81WA-073-8. Partial laboratory data also available under laboratory numbers S81WA-073-22 through S81WA-073-25. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an umbric epipedon from the surface to 10 inches, an albic horizon from 10 to 22 inches, and an argillic horizon from 22 to 35 inches.