LOCATION BOSSBURG WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, nonacid, mesic Histic Vitraquands
TYPICAL PEDON: Bossburg muck - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oap--0 inches to 8; black (10YR 2/1) muck, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; about 12 percent fiber, less than 3 percent rubbed; moderate medium and coarse granular structure, soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Ag--8 to 18 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) ashy silt loam, many medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
2C1g--18 to 34 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) ashy silt loam, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; many medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine pores; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)
2C2g--34 to 54 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) ashy silt loam, white (2.5Y 8/1) dry; many medium distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
30a2--54 to 68 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) rubbed sapric material, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; about 12 percent fiber, less than 5 percent rubbed; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Stevens County, Washington, 1,400 feet west and 100 feet south of northeast corner of sec. 34, T. 31 N., R. 40 E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. The soils are saturated during the winter and spring. The upper part of the 0 to 40 inch particle-size control section is 35 to 50 percent organic matter, the lower part of the particle-size control section has more than 60 percent volcanic glass, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent. The soil is neutral or slightly alkaline. Organic carbon in the Oap horizon ranges from 20 to 30 percent.
The Ag horizon has value of 2 through 4 moist, 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist or dry.
The 2Cg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 6 through 8 dry, through 7 moist, and chroma of 0 through 3 moist and dry., Mottles range from few fine faint to many medium distinct. It is commonly ashy silt loam and less commonly stratified fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam and silt loam.
The 3Oa2 layer is lacking in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bossburg soils are on bottomlands, flood plains, and old lake basins at elevations of 1,000 to 2,800 feet. The topography is smooth or gently undulating with slopes of 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in alluvial volcanic ash. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean January temperature is 23 degrees F; the mean July temperature is 67 degrees F; and the mean annual temperature is about 47 degrees. The average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 25 inches. The frost-free season is about 100 to 125 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bridgeson, Konner, Narcisse, Peone, Poween, Ralsen, and Saltese soils and the competing Colville. Bridgeson, Konner, Narcisse, Poween, and Ralsen soils are not ashy and lack a histic epipedon. Saltese soils are organic soils. Peone soils lack a mollic epipedon and have an irregular decrease in organic carbon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; ponded or very slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are drained and cropped. Small grains, hay and pasture are the principal crops. Some areas are used for range. The principal native vegetation is willow, quaking aspen, paper birch, western redcedar, reed canarygrass, blue wildrye, Hood sedge, dewey sedge, sweet scented bedstraw, spreading sweetroot, starry false-Solomon-seal, Saskatoon serviceberry, redosier dogwood, Douglas hawthorn, wood rose, and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington and northern Idaho. The series is small in extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stevens County, Washington, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a histic epipedon from the surface to 8 inches, a mollic epipedon from 8 to 18 inches, and a particle-size control section from 0 to 40 inches, with the lower part with more than 60 percent volcanic ash.