LOCATION BLUESLIDE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Fluvaquentic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Blueslide silt loam--cultivated (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, fine, and few medium roots; few very fine and common discontinuous irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (l0 to l2 inches thick)
ACg--10 to 14 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic, common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and common fine discontinuous irregular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Cg1--14 to 30 inches, light gray (10YR 7/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; few fine distinct mottles of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine discontinuous irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (l4 to l8 inches thick)
Cg2--30 to 36 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; many fine distinct mottles of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine discontinuous irregular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Cg3--36 to 46 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, few fine faint mottles of dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to l2 inches thick)
Cg4--46 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few fine faint mottles of dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Pend Oreille County, Washington; about 2.75 miles east and 2.5 miles south of Scotia; l,000 feet west and l,500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 27, T. 30 N., R. 45 E. W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils are usually moist and are saturated during the winter and spring but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F. The control section averages 20 to 35 percent clay, l5 to 35 percent coarser than very fine sand, and 0 to 5 percent coarse fragments.
The A horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of l or 2 dry or moist.
The ACg horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 dry and moist.
The Cg horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of l to 3 dry or moist. It is stratified silt loam, silty clay loam, loam or fine sandy loam with lenses of clay loam, sandy clay loam, and volcanic ash in some pedons. It is slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Blackfoot and Chiloquim soils. Blackfoot soils are calcareous throughout. Chilaquim soils have a B horizon and l0 to 30 percent volcanic ash in the A horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Blueslide soils are in basins, depressional areas, and bottomlands along perennial streams and have slopes of 0 to 3 percent. They formed in alluvium of mixed mineralogy from acid igneous rocks, lacustrine sediments, volcanic ash, and loess. Elevations are 2,000 to 3,000 feet. These soils are in a continental climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 25 to 30 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Cusick, Dalkena, Rathdrum, Hoodoo, Kegel and Pywell. Cusick soils are fine. Dalkena soils are coarse-loamy over clayey. Hoodoo and Rathdrum soils are ashy. Kegel soils are coarse-loamy. Pywell soils are Histosols.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. Brief flooding occurs between February and April. An apparent high water table occurs between .5 and 3 feet.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cultivated areas are used for small grains, and hay and pasture. Uncultivated areas are grazed woodland. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas-Fir, western white pine and grand fir with an understory of wild rose, tufted hairgrass and sedges.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. This series is small in extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pend Oreille County, Washington, l98l.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 10 inches and a gleyed substratum from 10 to 40 inches with an assumed irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth.