LOCATION WEDGE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-pumiceous, glassy Xeric Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Wedge paragravelly ashy sandy loam - forestland, on a 15 percent east facing back slope at an elevation of 3,050 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oa--0 to 1 inch; highly decomposed needles, twigs and bark; abrupt smooth boundary.
E--1 to 3 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1 and 5/2) ashy fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pumice; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
Bs1--3 to 6 inches; brownish yellow and pale brown (10YR 6/6 and 6/3) paragravelly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown and brown (10YR 4/6 and 10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent pumice; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bs2--6 to 12 inches; brownish yellow and pale brown (10YR 6/6 and 10YR 6/3) paragravelly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown and yellowish brown (10YR 4/6 and 10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent pumice; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bs3--12 to 17 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very paragravelly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; many fine and coarse roots; many fine irregular pores; 50 percent pumice; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
BC1--17 to 26 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very paragravelly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable and weakly smeary; common very fine and few coarse roots; common fine irregular pores; 50 percent pumice; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
BC2--26 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 6/4) extremely paragravelly ashy loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine irregular pores; 70 percent pumice; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2C1--32 to 51 inches, yellow and white (10YR 8/6 and 10YR 8/2) pumice, brownish yellow and very pale brown (10YR 6/8 and 10YR 7/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; many coarse irregular pores; 90 percent pumice and 5 percent pyroclastic pebbles, voids not filled; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 20 inches thick)
2C2--51 to 61 inches; white and yellow (10YR 8/2 and 10YR 8/6) pumice, very pale brown and brownish yellow (10YR 7/3 and 10YR 6/6) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many coarse irregular pores; 90 percent pumice and 5 percent pyroclastic pebbles, voids not filled; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; 10 miles north of Fish Lake, 1,000 feet north and 1,000 feet west of the southeast corner of section 28, T. 29N., R. 17E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is about 40 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc, volcanic glass content of more than 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of more than 2.0 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples. It has 45 to 90 percent pumice.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR or neutral, value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 0 through 3 dry or moist. It is slightly acid to very strongly acid.
The Bs1 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. It is paragravelly ashy sandy loam or paragravelly ashy fine sandy loam. It is moderately acid through neutral.
The Bs2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. It is paragravelly ashy sandy loam, very paragravelly ashy fine sandy loam, paragravelly ashy fine sandy loam or very paragravelly ashy loamy sand. It is moderately acid through neutral.
The Bs3 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. It is very paragravelly ashy sandy loam, extremely paragravelly ashy sandy loam or extremely paragravelly ashy loamy sand. It is moderately acid through neutral.
The BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is very paragravelly ashy sandy loam, extremely paragravelly ashy loamy sand, extremely paragravelly ashy sandy loam or extremely paragravelly ashy coarse sand. It is moderately acid through neutral.
The 2C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 8 moist, and chroma of 2 through 8 dry or moist. It is moderately acid through neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Lapine, Shadypass, and Maklak series. Lapine and Maklak soils have 0.4 to 1.0 acid oxalate aluminum plus half the iron, and are in a drier vegetative environment. Shadypass soils are similar and need review for series separation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wedge soils are on toe slopes and back slopes of mountains at elevations of 2,500 to 5,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. Wedge soils formed in volcanic ash and pumice. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters. The average annual precipitation is 35 to 55 inches. The mean January temperature is about 21 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 60 degrees F., and the mean annual air temperature is 37 to 40 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees is 90 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Choralmont, Devore, Fears, Totem and Wedgemont soils. Choralmont soils are frigid. Devore soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Fears soils are ashy-skeletal. Totem soils have a udic moisture regime. Wedgemont soils are loamy in the lower part of the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability over very rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, watershed, recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is subalpine fir, lodgepole pine, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, Pacific silver fir and grand fir with an understory of pachystima, dwarf huckleberry, Cascade azalea, common princes pine and Cascade Oregon grape.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of Cascade Mountains in central part of Chelan County, Washington. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chelan County (Entiat Area), Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are an albic horizon from mineral surface to 2 inches. The particle-size control section from 1 to 41 inches is 46 percent pumice. This description reflects a change in classification due to Andisols order from paragravelly ashy Typic Cryorthods to ashy-pumiceous Xeric Vitricryands. The soil fails the criteria for spodic materials; pH is greater than 5.9 in modal pedon, the albic horizon is not always present as stated in range of characteristics and the color requirements for the spodic material is not always present. The soil is considered as having a udic moisture regime when associated with the vegetation (Cascade azalea, western hemlock).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data available for this soil sample number 8753007010 (ABAM/TSHE/CLUN plant community) and 8753007008 (ABLA/VAMY plant community).