LOCATION SCOOTENEY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Scooteney loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--4 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Bk1--18 to 29 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bk2--29 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very cobbly and sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 55 percent gravel and cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Washington; 30 feet north and 400 feet east of south quarter corner of section 11, T.15N., R.28E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness and depth to carbonates is 12 to 24 inches. These soils are usually dry in all parts between 8 and 24 inches. The mean annual temperature at 20 inches is 52 to 55 degrees F. The mean summer temperature is 70 to 76 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 20 to 35 percent rock fragments and 5 to 10 percent clay.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is loam, silt loam, cobbly silt loam, or very fine sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. Texture is loam, silt loam, or very fine sandy loam. It has 5 to 10 percent clay. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bk1 horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam and is gravelly or cobbly. It has 5 to 10 percent clay and 5 to 30 calcium carbonate equivalent with no observable accumulation.
The Bk2 horizon has the same color range as the Bk1 horizon. Texture of the fine-earth fraction is sandy loam or fine sandy loam and is very gravelly or very cobbly. It has 5 to 15 percent calcium carbonate accumulation with no observable accumulation.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bijorja, Cheldehap,
Clems,
Drewsey,
Haybourne,
Heist,
Irrigon,
McClenden,
Prosser,
Rebel,
Royal,
Vining and
Wiehl series.
Bijorja soils 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact (granodiorite)
Chedehap soils 25 to 40 inches to loose sand and gravel; pscs has less than 15 percent gravel
Clems soils 45 to 60 inches to a calcareous 2Ck horizon; pscs with less than 15 percent rock fragments
Drewsey soils mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F.; pscs with 0 to 10 percent rock fragments; more than 60 inches to the base of the Bk horizon
Haybourne soils 18 to 35 inches to stratified gravelly coarse sand and fine sandy loam C horizons with an EC of 0 to 2mmhos/cm
Heist soils mean annual soil temperature of 48 to 52 degrees F.; pscs with 0 to 15 percent rock fragments
Irrigon soils 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact (tuff sandstone)
McClenden soils mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F.; pscs with 10 to 18 percent clay
Prosser soils 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact (basalt)
Rebel soils pscs with 10 to 18 percent clay, 2 to 15 percent rock fragments and 5 to 15 percent mica
Royal soils pscs has less than 15 percent rock fragments and have stratified moderately coarse and coarse textures of wind modified glaciofluvial origin
Vining soils 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact (basalt)
Wiehl soils 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact (sandstone)
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Scooteney soils are on nearly level to steep alluvial fans and terraces at elevations of 400 to 1,300 feet. These soils formed in alluvium. They are in an arid climate with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. The mean January temperature is 28 degrees F. and the mean July temperature is 72 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 50 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Finley, Kennewick, and Shano soils and the competing Ephrata soils. Finley soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section and are on outwash terraces and alluvial fans. Kennewick soils are calcareous throughout, lack coarse fragments and are on terraces. Shano soils have a coarse-silty control section, lack coarse fragments in the control section and are on terraces and hills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and irrigated cropland. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington. MLRA 8. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Adams County, Washington, 1966.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon the zone from 4 to 18 inches
Particle-size control section the zone from 10 to 40 inches
More investigation is needed as to determine if this soil may have a calcic horizon.
Scooteney soils were formerly classified as Sierozems.