LOCATION MONSE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Monse silt loam-under grasses on a level river terrace at 840 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary (7 to 10 inches thick)
A2--7 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--14 to 19 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
2Bw2--19 to 29 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; few medium faint brown (10YR 4/3) moist, mottles; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Bw3--29 to 34 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist mottles; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
2Bw4--34 to 40 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common medium faint brown (10YR 5/2) moist mottles; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, and plastic; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
2BCk1--40 to 45 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist mottles; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, and plastic; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2BCk2--45 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; common medium distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist mottles; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)
TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation; Okanogan County, Washington; about 3 miles north of the town of Monse; 350 feet west and 600 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 22, T. 31 N., R. 25 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a dept h of 20 inches ranges from 50 to 53 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to the seasonal high water table in spring is 2.0 to 3.0 feet. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 15 inches thick. Depth to mottles with chroma of 2 or less is 15 to 30 inches. The particle-size control section is 20 to 30 percent clay.
The A horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 moist. Reaction is neutral or mildly alkaline. Some pedons do not have an A2 horizon.
The Bw horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, chroma of 2 or 3 dry, 2 through 4 moist. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The 2Bw horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Some pedons do not have a 2Bw horizon.
The 2BCk horizon as hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry, 2 through 4 moist. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline. Some pedons do not have a 2BCk horizon above 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the tentative Barsac series. Barsac soils are calcareous throughout, have a calcic horizon with 15 to 35 percent calcium carbonate equivalent and are moist throughout the year.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Monse soils are on stream terraces. These soils formed in alluvium overlying lacustrine sediments. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 750 to 1,400 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation ranges from 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 air temperature is about 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 140 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cashmere, Cashmont, Ellisforde, Malott, Okanogan, Pogue, Quincy, Skaha, and Strat soils. The Cashmere, Cashmont, Malott, and Okanogan soils are coarse-loamy. Ellisforde soils are coarse-silty. Pogue soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Quincy and Skaha soils lack a mollic epipedon. Strat soils are loamy-skeletal. In addition, none of the above soils are in an aquic subgroup.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability in the upper part of the solum, moderate to moderately slow in the lower part of the solum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal uses are dryland and irrigated cropland, hay and pasture, rangeland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, Wyeth buckwheat, prairie lupine, common yarrow and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colville Indian Reservation; Okanogan County, Washington, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 14 inches, a cambic horizon from 14 to 40 inches, and mottles with chroma of 2 or less between 19 and 45 inches.