LOCATION MALOTT WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Malott very fine sandy loam - on a north facing 5 percent slope, at 1,415 feet elevation, under grasses and shrubs. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular and tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)
A2--4 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular and tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular and tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 19 inches thick)
Bw2--24 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine irregular and tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
2Bk--36 to 49 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few very fine, and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); strongly effervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
2Bkqm--49 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) gravelly sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive, hard, firm, nonsticky, slightly plastic; weakly cemented; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent pebbles; 5 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); violently effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation; Okanogan County, Washington; about 3 1/2 miles south of the town of Okanogan; 1,575 feet west, 1,500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 6, T. 32 N., R. 36 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 51 to 53 degrees F. These soils are dry between depths of 8 and 24 inches more than half the time when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 15 inches thick. Depth to a duripan ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 23 to 43 inches. The particle-size control section is 5 to 30 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 1 through 3 dry, 2 or 3 moist. Reaction is neutral or mildly alkaline. Some pedons have stony surface.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist. It is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam, and is gravelly or cobbly in some pedons. This horizon is 0 to 15 percent pebbles, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 2 percent stones.
The 2Bk horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist. It is fine sandy loam or sandy loam and is gravelly, cobbly, or very cobbly. This horizon has 10 to 30 percent pebbles, 5 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The 2Bkqm horizon has value of 6 through 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry, 2 or 3 moist. It is gravelly, very gravelly or very cobbly. This horizon has 10 to 40 percent pebbles, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. Reaction is moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blue Star, Courtrock, Era, Farrell, Tickason, and Tonasket series. Blue Star and Courtrock soils lack a cambic horizon. Era soils have 10 to 25 percent pumice throughout the solum. Farrell soils have less than 0 percent rock fragments in all parts of the particle-size control section. Tonasket soils have laminated lacustrine sediments at a depth of 25 to 36 inches. Tickason soils are calcareous at a depth of 0 to 20 inches and have a calcic horizon at 12 to 20 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Malott soils are on till plains and glaciated hills. These soils formed in glacial till with a mantle of loess. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. Elevations range from 800 to 2,000 feet. The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The mean January temperature is about 25 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 74 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The frost-free period is 140 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aeneas, Cashmere, Cashmont, Conconully, Couleedam, Peshastin, Pogue, Roosevelt, Soaplake, and the competing Farrell soils. Aeneas, Cashmere, Cashmont, Conconully, and Pogue soils lack a duripan and secondary carbonates within 44 inches. Couleedam and Soaplake soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to a lithic contact with granitic bedrock. Peshastin soils are loamy-skeletal. Roosevelt soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff;
moderate permeability above the duripan, very slow within the duripan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal uses are cropland, domestic livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Dryland small grains and irrigated tree fruit, hay and pasture are common crops. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, Sandberg bluegrass, antelope bitterbrush, big sagebrush, lupine, yarrow, and arrowleaf balsamroot.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Washington. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colville Indian Reservation; Okanogan and Ferry Counties, Washington, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 12 inches, a cambic horizon from 12 to 36 inches, secondary carbonates from 36 to 49 inches and a lime-silica cemented duripan from 49 to 60 inches.