LOCATION PUYALLUP                WA

Established Series
Rev. RJE/CRF
05/2012

PUYALLUP SERIES

The Puyallup series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in recent alluvium. Puyallup soils are on floodplains and low terraces. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual temperature is about 10 C. The mean annual precipitation is about 1,140 cm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, isotic over mixed, mesic Fluventic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Puyallup fine sandy loam - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 10 cm; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

A2--10 to 20 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary.

A3--20 to 46 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many fine and medium and few coarse irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 25 to 50 cm)

2Cl--46 to 69 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; single grained; loose; few fine roots; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (20 to 45 cm thick)

2C2--69 to 152 cm; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) gravelly sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; single grained; loose; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Washington; along Lower East Fork Lewis River Road about 2,240 feet north and 600 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. l9, T. 4 N., R. 2 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 50 cm
Reaction - Moderately acid to neutral
Particle -size control section - 0 to 15 percent clay; 0 to 20 percent gravel
Mean annual soil temperature - 8 to 12 degrees C.
Moisture control section - dry 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer soltice.
Some pedons have a Bw or C horizon.

A horizons
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry: 1 to 3 moist
Texture: very fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam

C horizons
Hue: 2.5YR to 10YR
Value: 3 to 7 dry, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 5 dry; 1 to 4 moist
Texture: sand, fine sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, silt loam

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Boesel, Chamokane, Newberg, and Snakelum series in other families. Boesel soils are frigid. Chamokane soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick. Newberg soils lack contrasting textures within the particle-size control section. Snakelum soils lack a mollic epipedon and have a regular decrease in organic matter content as depth increases.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on floodplains and low stream terraces at elevations of 6 to 198 m. The soils formed in mixed recent alluvium. The climate is humid; summers are cool and dry, and winters are mild and moist. The mean annual precipitation is 889 to 1,524 mm. Mean January temperature is 3 degrees C, mean July temperature is 17 degrees C, mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C. The frost-free season is l70 to 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Briscot, Mt. Vernon, Oridia, Pilchuck, Puget, and Sultan soils. Briscot, Oridia, and Puget soils have an aquic moisture regime. Pilchuck soils are sandy throughout. Mt. Vernon soils are medial over loamy. Sultan soils are fine-silty and have an ochric epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland. Principal crops are hay, pasture, and row crops. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, black cottonwood, western hemlock, and red alder, with an understory of trailing blackberry, salmonberry, Oregon-grape, western swordfern, vine maple, and western brackenfern.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Washington, MLRA 2. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Snohomish County, Washington, l936.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are; a mollic epipedon from the surface to 46 centimeters and a textural change to sandy material at 46 centimeters. Organic carbon content is assumed to decrease irregularly with depth.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.