LOCATION NEWSKAH                 WA

Established Series
Rev. SBC/RFP/RJE
10/2021

NEWSKAH SERIES


The Newskah series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from sandy marine sediments. Newskah soils are on marine terraces and terrace escarpments and have slopes of 1 to 90 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation is about 90 inches.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, ferrihydritic, isomesic Typic Fulvudands

TYPICAL PEDON: Newskah loam, on a southwest facing 11 percent slope under coniferous forest at 230 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures. When described the soil was moist throughout.)

Oi--0 inches to 3; accumulation of mosses, needles and twigs; many fine, medium and coarse roots.

A1--3 to 20 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; many fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)

B21--20 to 38 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); gradual smooth boundary. (14 to 22 inches thick)

B22--38 to 49 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 24 inches thick)

C--49 to 63 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loamy fine sand, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine tubular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington; 3 miles northeast of Grayland along a logging road; 2,600 feet east and 2,200 feet north of the SW corner section 3, T.15 N., R.11W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 40 to 60 inches thick. The particle size control section is 15 to 10 percent clay. The upper 2/3 of the control section contains 4 to 7 percent organic carbon. The mean annual soil temperature is estimated to range from 47 to 50 degrees F. The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 2 through 4 dry. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. It is very strongly acid or strongly acid.

The B2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 4 through 6. It has weak or moderate blocky structure. It is dominantly loam but is fine sandy loam below a depth of 40 inches in some pedons. It is extremely acid or very strongly acid.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y dry, value of 5 or 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 4 through 6. It is loamy sand or loamy fine sand. It is massive or single grained. It is extremely acid or very strongly acid.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arta, Astoria, Boistfort, Bunker, Copalis, Elochoman, Hoquiam, Ilwaco, Kinney, Knappton, Lebam, Lytell, Makah, Mopang, Narel, Oyhut, Palix, Papac, Silcox, Skamo, Vesta, Walville, Willapa, Zenker, and Zyzyl series. Arta soils are silty clay loam, have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper part of the control section and have mottles at a depth of 25 to 40 inches. Astoria and Boistfort soils are 35 or more percent clay and have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper part of the control section. Bunker soils are gravelly loam or gravelly clay loam with 20 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent hard basalt fragments and have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper part of the control section. Copalis and Papac soils have a paralithic contact within a depth of of 40 inches. Elochman soils are silt loam with 20 to 27 percent clay and have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper part of the control section. Hoquiam soils are silt loam or silty clay loam with 20 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 20 percent hard rock fragments and have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper part of the control section. Ilwaco soils are silt loam with 20 to 27 percent clay. Kinney soils have 25 to 35 percent rock fragments and are cobbly throughout. Knappton soils are silt loam or silty clay loam with 20 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments. Lebam and Vesta soils have 35 percent or more clay. Lytell, Zenker, and Zyzyl soils have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper part of the control section and have 35 to 80 percent soft rock fragments. Makah soils have 15 to 30 percent hard rock fragments and 15 to 40 percent soft rock fragments. Mopang soils are silt loam or silty clay loam and have 5 to 15 percent hard rock fragments. Narel soils are loam or silt loam with 20 to 27 percent clay and 30 to 70 percent soft rock fragments. Oyhut soils have a petroferric contact at a depth of 24 to 40 inches. Palix soils are clay loam or silty clay loam with less than 35 percent clay and have 20 to 80 percent soft rock fragments. Silcox soils are sandy loam or fine sandy loam and have 10 to 35 percent hard rock fragments. Skamo soils are 35 or more percent clay, have less than 4 percent organic carbon in the upper part of the control section and have mottles at a depth of 24 to 40 inches. Walville soils have 35 to 60 percent soft breccia fragments. Willapa soils have mottles at a depth of 18 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Newskah soils are on marine terraces and dissected terrace flanks. Slopes are 1 to 90 percent. Elevation ranges from sea level to 500 feet. These soils formed in material weathered from weakly coherent sandy marine sediments. They are in humid marine climate with cool, wet winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 80 to 120 inches. The mean January temperature is 38 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is 59 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 48 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F.) is 180 to 220 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Mopang and Willappa soils.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation are the principal uses. Vegetation is primarily a western hemlock forest with scattered Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and red alder. Understory species include salal, western swordfern, western brachenfern, salmonberry, blackberry, red elderberry, and vine maple.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Within 20 miles of the Pacific Ocean in southwest Washington. The series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County, Washington, 1971.

REMARKS: Classification only changed 4/94 because of recent amendments to Soil Taxonomy.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.