LOCATION LYTELL WA

Established Series
Rev. RFP/RJE/TLA
05/2012

LYTELL SERIES

The Lytell series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in material weathered from siltstone or very fine grained sandstone. Lytell soils are on hillsides and ridgetops and have slopes of 5 to 90 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 100 inches and average annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, ferrihydritic, mesic Typic Fulvudands

TYPICAL PEDON: Lytell paragravely medial silt loam - forested, on a 60 percent east-facing slope at 620 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures).

Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed twigs, needles, and decayed tree limbs.

Oa--2 to 3 inches; highly decomposed organic matter, many roots.

A--3 to 14 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) paragravelly medial silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; strong medium and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine and very fine and few coarse and medium roots; few very fine tubular and many microirregular pores; 20 percent soft angular siltstone fragments; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)

AB--14 to 20 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) paragravelly medial silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) dry; moderate coarse and medium subangular blocky and strong medium and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common medium and fine roots; common medium and fine tubular pores; 25 percent soft angular siltstone fragments; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)

Bw1--20 to 28 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) extremely paragravelly medial silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic and weakly smeary; few fine and very fine roots; common medium and fine tubular pores; 60 percent soft angular siltstone fragments; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--28 to 44 inches thick; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) extremely paragravelly medial silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate coarse, medium, and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic and weakly smeary; few very fine and fine roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; 80 percent soft angular siltstone fragments; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 14 to 32 inches)

BC--44 to 53 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) extremely paragravelly silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic and weakly smeary; few very fine roots; many microinterstitial pores; 80 percent soft angular siltstone fragments; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 30 inches)

Cr--53 inches; siltstone, partly consolidated.

TYPE LOCATION: Wahkiakum County, Washington; seven miles northeast of Skamokawa on K-M West logging road; 1,050 feet west and 375 feet north of southeast corner section 10 T. 10 N., R. 7 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 40 to 60 inches thick. Depth to moderately cemented bedrock is 40 to more than 70 inches. The particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.60 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 2.0 to 2.5 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 95 percent, 15 bar water retention of 15 to 20 percent for air dried samples, 27 to 35 percent apparent clay by field estimate and averages 35 to 60 percent siltstone parafragments. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. The difference between the mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 5 to 9 degrees F. These soils are strongly acid or very strongly acid throughout.

The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is 10 to 35 percent siltstone parafragments. It has 7 to 15 percent organic matter.

The BA, Bw, and BC horizons have value of 3 to 5 moist, 3 through 7 dry, and chroma of 3 through 8 moist and dry. Texture is medial clay loam or medial silty clay loam. Siltstone parafragments range from 15 to 85 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Elochoman series. Elochoman soils have 0 to 15 percent fragments in the particle-size control section and are mesic.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lytell soils are on colluvial hillsides and ridgetops deeply incised by drainages arranged in a weak dendritic pattern. Slopes are 5 to 90 percent. Elevation ranges from sea level to 1,700 feet. These soils formed in material weathered from siltstone or very fine grained sandstone. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and relatively cool summers. The mean annual precipitation is 70 to 125 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F.) is 200 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Astoria, and the competing Elochoman, and Zenker soils. Astoria soils lack the thickness of andic soil properties for Andisols.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production. Douglas-fir and western hemlock are the main tree species with some red alder, western redcedar, and Sitka spruce. The understory is salmonberry, western swordfern, red huckleberry, salal, vine maple, Oregon oxalis, and western brackenfern.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal mountains in southwestern Washington; MLRA 4A. Series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County (Grays Harbor County Area), Washington, 1970.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
umbric epipedon - from 3 to 20 inches
cambic horizon - from 20 to 53 inches.
The areas of Lytell mapped in Lewis County, Washington are not isomesic and need to be re-correlated.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Riverside laboratory data are available on this soil: sample numbers R75-131. Organic carbon estimates are based on data taken on the Astoria series and are available at the National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska: Sample Number S77WA25-3. A benchmark soil study by Washington State University is also available. The WSU study has bulk density data and supports the change in classification.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.