LOCATION BECKLEY WA
Established Series
Rev. NCD/CDL/RJE
12/2022
BECKLEY SERIES
The Beckley series consists of deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in outwash on terraces, old alluvial fans, and glacial outwash plains. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 14 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Typic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Beckley coarse sandy loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very thick platy structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; sand is nearly black; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; sand is nearly black; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 18 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; many fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 17 inches thick)
2C--23 to 60 inches; gray with light gray flecks (10YR 5/1 and 7/2) coarse basalt sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; single grained; loose; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Washington; 60 feet east and 100 feet south of N1/4 corner of sec. 22, T. 15 N., R. 37 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts between depths of 8 and 23 inches for 90 to 105 consecutive days following summer solstice. Mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 49 degrees to 55 degrees F. The 10- to 40-inch control section has 0 to 25 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bw horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 through 4 moist and chroma of 2, 3, or 4. It is coarse sandy loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam. This horizon has weak prismatic or weak subangular blocky structure. It is neutral or mildly alkaline. Some pedons are slightly effervescent in the lower part. In some pedons there is a C horizon between the Bw horizon and the 2C horizon. It is similar to the Bw horizon but is massive and in some pedons it has a value of 6 dry and 4 moist.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 4 moist and dry. It is coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand and is gravelly in some pedons. It is neutral or mildly alkaline and is effervescent in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Battleplain series. Battleplain soils are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beckley soils are on terraces, old alluvial fans and glacial outwash plains mostly in the channeled scablands. Elevation ranges from 1,400 to 2,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. Summers are hot and dry and winters are cool and moist. Average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 16 inches. Mean July temperature is 71 degrees F., mean January temperature is 30 degrees F., mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 110 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Benge,
Chard,
Conconully,
Ewall, and
Walla Walla soils. Benge soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Chard and Conconully soils are coarse-loamy. Ewall soils are sandy throughout the profile. Walla Walla soils are coarse-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the upper part and very rapid in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland and range. Common crops are small grains, hay and pasture. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and balsamroot.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whitman County, Washington, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 11 inches, and a cambic horizon from 11 to 23 inches. The cambic horizon is assumed to have less than 1 percent organic matter and colors are partially the result of basalt sand.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.