LOCATION WESTPORT WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, isomesic Typic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Westport fine sand, grassland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) dry; single grained; loose; many fine roots; very porous; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
AC--7 to 16 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grained; loose; few fine roots; very porous; iron stains along root channels; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
C--16 to 60 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) fine sand, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) dry; single grained; loose; very porous; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington; 2 miles north of Grayland on main road, cut bank at entrance to Sand and Surf Trailer Park, west side of coast highway, 1 mile south of Twin Harbor State Park entrance.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 9 to 20 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The difference between the mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 5 to 9 degrees F. The soil is very strongly acid to neutral.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is fine sand or loamy fine sand.
The AC horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 through 6 dry. It is fine sand or loamy fine sand.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 or 6 dry. It is fine sand or loamy fine sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Frankport, Lanphere and Waldport series. Frankport soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 52 to 56 degrees F. Lanphere soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 52 to 56 degrees F (11 to 13 degrees C). Waldport soils are similar and Westport and Waldport soils should be correlated together.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on sand dunes at an elevation of 10 to 50 feet. Westport soils formed in eolian sand and have slopes of 3 to 20 percent. These soils are in a coastal marine climate with relatively cool summers and mild, wet winters. The annual precipitation is 60 to 120 inches, the average January temperature is about 40 degrees F.; the average July temperature is about 61 degrees F.; and the average annual temperature is about 51 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F.) is 180 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Netarts and Yaquina soils. Yaquina soils are poorly drained. Netarts soils have a spodic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; very slow runoff; very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are now used for homesites. Principal vegetation is native grasses and widely spaced Sitka spruce and shore pines.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal beach areas of Western Washington; MLRA 4A. The soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Western Puget Sound Basin, Reconnaissance, Washington, 1910.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:
The Waldport series were established in Oregon during the recognition of the isomesic soil temperature regime. Washington State did not recognize isomesic at the time, this Westport was not reclassified. During an MLRA update, Waldport and Westport should be correlated.