LOCATION LOUELLA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, mesic Andic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Louella gravelly ashy loam, forested. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs.
A1--1 to 3 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 15 percent hard pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 12 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 15 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; 20 percent hard pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw2--18 to 35 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; 25 percent hard pebbles; 10 percent paragravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 21 inches thick)
Bw3--35 to 48 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) gravelly loam yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular, and few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent hard pebbles; 40 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
C--48 to 61 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) gravelly loam yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular, and few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent hard pebbles; 40 percent paragravel; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington; 800 feet north and 600 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 18, T.29N., R.3W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. The soil is dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days in the moisture control section following summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 16 inches thick. The particle-size control section is 15 to 30 percent hard rock fragments, 10 to 50 percent paragravel fragments and averages 18 to 27 percent clay. Base saturation of the solum is 75 to 100 percent and a significant amount of the bases are attributed to the soft fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. It is moderately acid to neutral.
The B horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry and chroma of 3 through 6. It is gravelly clay loam or gravelly loam. It is moderately acid to neutral. It has 20 to 30 percent clay.
The C horizon has hue of 7.5YR and 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 4 through 6. It is gravelly loam, gravelly sandy loam, or gravelly coarse sandy loam. It is slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Nanum series. Nanum soils have a mollic epipedon 30 to 60 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Louella soils are on mountain sides at elevations of 200 to 2,000 feet. Slopes are 10 to 90 percent. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium from basalt or flow breccia. The soils are in a mild marine climate and have cool, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 30 to 45 inches. Average January temperature is 33 degrees to 36 degrees F.; average July temperature is 55 degrees to 58 degrees F.; and mean annual temperature is 46 degrees to 48 degrees F. Frost-free season is 150 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Clallam, Elwha, Hoypus and Yeary soils. Clallam and Elwha soils have a densic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Hoypus soils are sandy-skeletal. Yeary soils are fine-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production and wildlife are the principal uses. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, grand fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, salal, oceanspray, red huckleberry, rose, Oregon grape and rhododendron.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Clallam County, Washington; MLRA 2. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:
Mollic epipedon - 1 to 12 inches
Cambic horizon - 12 to 48 inches
Vitrandic subgroup - the pedon may not contain sufficient glass but acid oxalate iron and aluminum is probably above 1 and should be Andic subgroup.
ADDITIONAL DATA: National Soil Survey Laboratory, sample number S77WA-9-5.