LOCATION BAZAL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argialbolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bazal loam, forested, in a level drainageway at 34 meters elevation. When described on October, 21, 2003 the soil was saturated throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 3 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 cm thick)
A1--3 to 10 cm; black (10YR 2/1) mucky loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--10 to 25 cm; black (10YR 2/1)loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; 2 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 25 to 36 cm)
Bw--25 to 43 cm; dark brown (10YR 3/3)loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral pH (6.7); clear wavy boundary.(13 to 25 cm thick)
E--43 to 61 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy coarse sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many fine interstitial and irregular pores; common prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron-manganese masses throughout; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)
2Btg--61 to 99 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout and root mats between peds; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; many prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron-manganese masses throughout; 3 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary (25 to 41 cm thick)
2Cd--99 to 124 cm; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few very fine roots in cracks greater than 10 cm apart; very few fine tubular pores; common prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) iron masses between cracks and on linings of pores; 3 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4)
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Washington - about 792 meters north and 91 meters east of southwest corner of section 19, T. 36 N., R. 3 W. Willamette Meridian; USGS Roche Harbor NE quarter quadrangle; lat. 48 degrees 36 minutes 4 seconds N. and long. 123 degrees 7 minutes 31 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface.
Average annual soil temperature - 10 to 11 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 43 cm
Depth to densic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Reaction - moderately acid to mildly alkaline
Depth to redoximorphic features - 8 to 23 cm
Particle Size Control Section:
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
A1 horizon -
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 4 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist and dry
Clay content - 10 to 20 percent
A2 horizon -
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 4 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist and dry
Texture - L or SIL
Clay content - 10 to 20 percent
Rock Fragments - 0 to 5 percent
Bw horizon -
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 moist and dry
Texture - L, FSL, or SIL
Clay content - 3 to 18 percent
E horizon -
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 6 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist and dry
Texture - LCOS, LS, SL or L
Clay content - 3 to 18 percent
Btg horizon -
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 2 to 4 moist and dry
Texture - L, SIL, or SICL
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
Cd horizon -
Hue - 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value - 5 or 6 moist, 4 to 7 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 moist and dry
Texture - L, SIL, or SICL
Clay content - 15 to 35 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bazal soils are in drainageways, valleys, and glacial outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in glacial drift underlain by dense glaciomarine deposits. Elevations are 0 to 91 meters. The climate is characterized by warm dry summers and mild moist winters. The annual precipitation ranges from 455 to 1,015 millimeters. The average annual temperature ranges from 9 to 10 degrees C. The frost-free period is about 200 to 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Deadmanbay, Killebrew, Mitchellbay, Shalcar, and Sholander soils. Deadmanbay soils have a densic contact at 100 to 150 cm and do not have aquic conditions in the upper 20 cm. Killebrew and Mitchellbay soils are in higher elevation positions within valleys and outwash plains and do not have aquic conditions in the upper 20 cm. Shalcar soils are in drainageways and depressions and are Histosols. Sholander soils are in drainageways and valleys, have a sandy particle-size control section, and do not have aquic conditions in the upper 20 centimeters.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high to very high in the upper part (A, Bw and E horizons) and low to moderately low in the lower part (Btg and Cd horizons). Bazal soils have a perched water table as high as 0 cm from October to April, 26 cm in May, and 60 cm in June, unless the soil is drained. Bazal soils are subject to frequent ponding for very long durations from December to March and for brief durations during October, November, and April.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production, watershed, and wildlife habitat. Potential natural vegetation consists of Sitka spruce, red alder, lodgepole pine, clustered rose, salmonberry, trailing blackberry, red elderberry, common snowberry, stinging nettle, swordfern, slough sedge, field horsetail, and scouring-rush horsetail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Puget Sound valleys in Northwest Washington;
MLRA 2, Northern Part. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan County, Washington - 2006. Name is taken from Bazalgette Point on San Juan Island.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 3 to 43 cm (A and Bw horizons)
Albic horizon - the zone from 43 to 61 cm (E horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 61 to 99 cm (Btg horizon)
Densic contact - 99 cm (top of the Cd horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 61 to 99 cm
Additional Data: NSSL pedon 04N0404