LOCATION BOLICKER           WA
Established Series
Rev. HRG/RJE/RWL
11/2008

BOLICKER SERIES


The Bolicker series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess over colluvium derived from basalt. Bolicker soils are on canyon walls, slumpblocks, and footslopes. Slopes are 15 to 90 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bolicker silt loam-range on a 68 percent north-facing slope at an elevation of 1,340 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)

A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

A2--4 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bw--11 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 22 inches thick)

2Bk--29 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; common fine spheroid shaped aggregates of secondary lime, common coatings of secondary lime in pores and many coatings on undersides of basalt fragments; 30 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Asotin County, Washington; about 8 miles west of Clarkston, 900 feet north and 2,000 feet east of southwest corner of section 25, T. 11 N., R. 44 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the calcic horizon is 25 to 40 inches. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depth of 8 and 24 inches for 75 to 90 consecutive days following summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F. The particle-size control section is 10 to 35 percent rock fragments and the fine earth fraction is 10 to 18 percent clay. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 18 inches thick.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Soil reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. Texture is silt loam to loam.
The 2Bk horizon has value of 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 7 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is very cobbly loam, very gravelly loam, cobbly loam, gravelly loam, silt loam, or loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Asotin, Chard, Disautel, Dufur, and Kidman series.
Asotin soils 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (basalt); dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Chard soils - dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice; less than 5 percent rock fragments in pscs
Disautel soils 40 to 60 inches to densic contact (glacial till material); dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Dufur soils 40 to greater than 60 inches to lithic contact (sedimentary); less than 5 percent rock fragments in pscs
Kidman soils - less than 5 percent rock fragments in pscs; redox concentrations in Bk horizon (moderately well drained)
The Marriott and Molcal series have a similar classification.
Marriott soils active mineralogy family class; pscs is slightly or moderately calcareous
Molcal soils vitrandic subgroup; calcareous throughout; 40 to greater than 60 inches to bedrock (calcareous shale, glacial till, glacial lake sediments)

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bolicker soils are on canyon walls, slumpblocks, and footslopes and back slopes of mountains. Slopes are 15 to 90 percent. These soils formed in loess over colluvium derived from basalt. Elevation is 800 to 2,600 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 160 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Asotin, Nims, Schuelke, Walla Walla, and Weissenfels soils. Asotin, Nims, Schuelke, and Weissenfels soils have a lithic contact at a depth of less than 40 inches. Walla Walla soils are coarse-silty and lack secondary lime within the particle-size control section. Asotin and Schuelke soils are on canyon side slopes. Nims soils are on basalt plateaus. Walla Walla soils are on hills.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to rapid runoff, moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass and rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Washington. MLRA 8. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Asotin County, Washington, 1984.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches
Cambic horizon - the zone from 11 to 29 inches
Calcic horizon - the zone from 29 to 60 inches
Rev. 01/98 reflects a change in classification based on the addition of CEC activity classes in Soil Taxonomy.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.