LOCATION LARIC WA
Established Series
Rev. CSM/TFC/KWH
11/2010
LARIC SERIES
The Laric series consists of very shallow and shallow, well drained soils formed in loess and residuum from basalt on ridgetops and structural benches. Slopes are 3 to 15 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 10 inches, and average annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Laric very gravelly loam- rangeland on a 5 percent south-facing slope at 2,800 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 40 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt--3 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films lining pores; 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
R--8 inches; basalt bedrock with silica coatings over 30 percent of the surface area.
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington, about 990 feet west and 950 feet north of the southeast corner of section 14, T. 15 N., R. 21 E.; USGS Mcdonald Spring topographic quadrangle; Lat. 46 degrees 46' 56" N. and Long. 120 degrees 09' 02" W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature at the lithic contact is 47 to 54 degrees F. These soils are dry in the moisture control section more than half of the time when the soil temperature at the lithic contact is above 40 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 23 to 30 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments by volume. Organic matter is estimated to range from 1 to 3 percent. Depth to bedrock ranges from 5 to 12 inches. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist.
The B horizon has a value of 3 to 5 dry or moist, and the chroma is 2 or 3, dry or moist. It is gravelly loam or gravelly clay loam. It has moderate fine or medium subangular blocky or weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Adinot (T),
Borland (T),
Jilson,
Malinda (T),
Marlic,
Mcquarrie,
Pass Canyon,
Shirts and
Terca (T) soils. Adinot soils are moderately well drained and contain 30 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Borland soils have less than 5 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Jilson soils lack silica accumulations on the surface of the lithic contact and have a xeric soil moisture regime. Malinda and Terca soils are 14 to 20 inches to bedrock. Marlic soils have a lithologic discontinuity and contains more than 35 percent clay in the lower part of the argillic horizon. McQuarrie soils have segregated lime accumulations in the lower part of the Bt2 and lack rock fragments in the Bt2 horizon. Pass Canyon soils lack a silica cap on the surface of the lithic contact. Shirts soils have a Xeric soil moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Laric soils are on ridgetops and structural benches and have slopes of 3 to 15 percent. These soils formed in loess and residuum weathered from basalt. Elevations are 1800 to 2900 feet. The average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 12 inches. These soils are in a semiarid climate with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The average January temperature is about 25 degrees F.; the average July temperature is 69 degrees F., and the average annual temperature is about 48 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 130 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Argabak,
Grinrod,
Horseflat,
Vantage, and
Zen soils. Argabak soils are on ridges and benches and Horseflat soils are on hillslopes and canyon walls and both contain more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section. Vantage soils are on plateaus and ridgetops and are clayey-skeletal. Zen soils are on broad plateaus and are 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Sandberg bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass and stiff sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Washington. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, Yakima Training Center, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 8 inches, an argillic horizon from 3 to 8 inches and a lithic contact 8 inches. The particle-size control section is the entire soil (A and Bt horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.