LOCATION BRAYS WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, mesic Vitritorrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Brays ashy fine sandy loam - rangeland, on a 40 percent northwest slope at an elevation of 1,400 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures and spot plate reaction is used for pH values.)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 5 percent ash 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter and 5 percent granitic gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
AB--5 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 10 percent ash 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter and 5 percent granitic gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 27 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) ashy fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 15 percent ash 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter and 5 percent granitic gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bw2--27 to 35 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly ashy fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 10 percent ash 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 35 percent cobbles and 30 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2R--35 inches; fractured granite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; approximately 7 miles northwest of Waterville; about 2,640 feet east and 2,000 feet north of the southwest corner of section 7, T. 26N., R. 22E. (Latitude 47 degrees 45 minutes 45 seconds N, Longitude 120 degrees 07 minutes 30 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in the moisture control section for one-half to three-forths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The mollic epipedon is 9 to 13 inches thick. The particle-size control section has moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.30 g/cc. It has 5 to 15 percent ash 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter, 0 to 5 percent pumice 2 to 5 mm. in diameter. Glass content is 30 to 50 percent. Acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron is 0.15 to 0.40 percent. The upper part of the particle-size control section has 5 to 10 percent rock fragments, the lower part has 50 to 65 percent rock fragments. The particle-size control section averages 15 to 35 percent rock fragments. Field estimated clay content is 4 to 10 percent. Depth to granitic rock is 20 to 40 inches.
The A and AB horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw1 horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and 2 to 4 moist. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw2 horizon has value 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and 3 or 4 moist. It is very or extremely cobbly ashy fine sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bitner (T), Chelan, Delrio, Deskamp, Dryhollow, Emagert (T), Kester, Weezweed (T), Winblow, and Yellowhills (T) series. Bitner soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches and have 50 to 90 percent glass. Chelan, Delrio, Dryhollow, Emagert, Weezweed and Yellowhills soils are over 40 inches deep to bedrock. Deskamp soils lack a cambic horizon. Kester soils are slightly to strongly alkaline, are underlain by basalt and have 0 to 5 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Winblow soils are underlain by basalt and have 0 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brays soils are on scarp slopes of plateaus. Slopes are 3 to 65 percent. Brays soils formed in loess and volcanic ash over colluvium from granitic bedrock. Elevation is 1,200 to 1,800 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. Average January temperature is about 25 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 70 degrees F.; and average annual air temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. Frost-free season is 140 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chelan, Entiat, Roosevelt and Supplee series. Chelan soils are on sideslopes and terraces and are deep or very deep. Entiat soils are on sideslopes and are shallow. Roosevelt soils are on sideslopes and have much less volcanic ash. Supplee soils are on terraces and are underlain by glacial outwash.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Brays soils are primarily used for irrigated orchards and livestock grazing. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, bitterbrush, and buckwheat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 10 inches (A and AB horizons).
Cambic horizon - 10 to 35 inches (Bw horizons).
Lithic contact - 35 inches (hard, fractured granitic bedrock).
Ashy family - over 30 percent glass.
Andic soil properties - pedon does not meet andic soil properties (A1 + 1/2 Fe is less than 0.4)
Vitritorrandic- over 30 percent glass.
Particle size control section - 10 to 35 inches (Bw horizons) averages 24 percent rock fragments.