LOCATION ALSASH WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Alsash ashy fine sandy loam - cropland, wheat stubble, on a 5 percent south slope at an elevation of 2,625 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure, soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots, few fine and medium interstitial pores; 20 percent sand-size pumice (0.5 to 2mm in size); neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
A--7 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few fine and medium interstitial pores; 20 percent sand-size pumice (0.5 to 2mm in size); neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
2Bt1--11 to 18 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic, few very fine and fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; few faint clay films on ped faces; 15 percent sand-size pumice (0.5 to 2mm in size); neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Bt2--18 to 28 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine and medium interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on ped surfaces; 10 percent sand-size pumice (0.5 to 2mm in size); slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
3Bkq1--28 to 38 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive, discontineous cementation; very hard, very firm, and brittle nonsticky and nonplastic; few faint clay films on top of horizon; 30 percent durinodes and cicada casts; common fine filaments and soft masses of secondary carbonates throughout horizon, strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
3Bkq2--38 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive, non-continuously cemented; very hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent durinodes and cicada casts; common lime filaments, threads and soft masses throughout horizon, strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; about 1.5 miles northwest of Withrow; 1,500 feet north and 1,500 feet west of the southeast corner of section 20, T.26N., R.24E. (Latitude 47 degrees 43 minutes 56 seconds N, Longitude 119 degrees 50 minutes 20 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in the moisture control section for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 F. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 18 inches thick and has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.35 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, including 10 to 20 percent pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid oxalate extractable iron of 0.15 to 0.40 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent, 0 to 5 percent rock fragments, and an apparent field estimated clay content of 5 to 10 percent. One or more horizons in the top 30 inches of the profile, including the surface horizon in all cases, has less than 75 percent base saturation by sum of bases. The particle-size control section averages 10 to 18 percent clay and has less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Depth to the duric layer (3Bkq) is 20 to 40 inches.
The Ap horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 moist.
The A horizon has chroma of 3 or 4 dry and 2 or 3 moist. Texture are ashy fine sandy loam, ashy very fine sandy loam or ashy silt loam.
The 2Bt horizons have value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist. Chroma is 3 or 4 dry. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 3Bkq horizons have value of 6 to 8 dry and 4 to 6 moist. Chroma is 2 to 4 dry and 3 to 4 moist. There is 20 to 50 percent durinodes and cicada casts. Texture is gravelly fine sandy loam, very gravelly fine sandy loam, or gravelly silt loam. Reaction is moderately to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Slusser series. Slusser soils have a weakly cemented duripan 40 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alsash soils occur at elevations of 2,000 to 2,800 feet and are on ridges, side slopes and toe slopes of uplands. These soils formed in mixed loess, volcanic ash, and pumice over older loess. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The semiarid climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average January temperature is 27 degrees F., average July temperature is 71 degrees F., and average annual temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. Frost- free season is 130 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Deercut, Kester, Nemire, Toler and the competing Slusser soils. Deercut, Toler and Slusser soils are on uplands. Nemire and Kester soils are in drainageways. Deercut soils are coarse-loamy and have an indurated duripan at 20 to 40 inches. Kester soils are moderately deep to basalt. Nemire soils do not have a duric layer within the soil profile and are ashy. Toler soils are moderately deep to basalt.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Alsash soils are primarily used for dryland wheat and barley production. Small areas are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, Idaho fescue and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Douglas County, Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 11 inches, 20 percent sand-size pumice from 0 to 11 inches with an assumed volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent in the fine earth fraction, and a coarse-silty argillic horizon from 11 to 28 inches over a duric layer from 28 to 60 inches. The particle size control section is a zone from 11 to 28 inches. (2Bt1 and the 2Bt2 horizons). The particle-size control section averages 73 percent silt plus very fine sand and 13 percent clay.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL lab data is available for this pedon, NSSL pedon number 89P0206.