LOCATION BRUSHER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy, glassy over isotic, frigid Alfic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Brusher ashy silt loam - on a northwest facing 26 percent slopes, at 2,800 feet elevation, under a grand fir canopy. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
O--0 to 5 inches; partially decomposed organic material from needles, leaves, and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--5 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and medium roots, common coarse roots; NaF pH 10.5; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common medium and coarse roots; NaF pH 11.0; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 2 to 15 inches thick).
Bw--10 to 22 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; NaF pH 10.5; neutral (pH 6.8); clear irregular boundary. (6 to 22 inches thick)
2E--22 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots, few medium and coarse roots; NaF pH 9.6; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
2B/E--29 to 42 inches; 60 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam (B part), 40 percent pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam (E part), dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist (B part), brown (10 YR 4/3) moist (E part); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; common faint clay films on face of peds; NaF pH less than9.2; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.
2E/B--42 to 56 inches; 80 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam (E part), 20 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam (B part), brown (10YR 4/3) moist (E part), dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist (B part); weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; colloid stains mineral grains; NaF pH less than 9.2; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of B/E and E/B horizons is 0 to 28 inches)
2Bt--56 to 61 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse platy structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on face of peds and lining pores; NaF pH less than 9.2; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 39 inches thick)
2C--61 to 65 inches; multicolored highly decomposed granitic rock that breaks to gravelly coarse sand; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; 25 percent fine pebbles; NaF pH less than 9.2; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation; Ferry County, Washington; about 5 miles northwest of the town of Keller; 1,600 feet south, 1,000 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 35, T. 31 N., R. 32 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 44 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between a depth of 4 and 12 inches for 45 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Thickness of the solum is greater than 40 inches. The upper 14 to 26 inches of the 0 to 40 inch particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.80 to 0.95 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples. The lower part of the particle-size control section averages 18 to 34 percent clay and 0 to 25 percent, mostly fine, pebbles. Reaction is slightly acid to neutral throughout.
The A horizon has value of 4 through 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. This horizon is 0 to 10 percent pebbles.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is ashy silt loam, ashy loam, or ashy very fine sandy loam. This horizon is 0 to 10 percent pebbles.
The 2E horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is loam or sandy loam and may be gravelly. This horizon is 0 to 20 percent pebbles. Some pedons lack an E horizon.
The B part of the 2B/E and 2E/B horizons has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. The E part has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Both are loam or sandy loam and may be gravelly. It has weak or moderate, fine or medium, subangular blocky or platy structure. This horizon is 0 to 25 percent pebbles. Some pedons lack a 2B/E and/or a 2E/B horizon.
The 2Bt horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. It is clay loam, loam, or sandy loam and may be gravelly. It has weak, moderate, or strong, medium or coarse, subangular blocky, angular blocky, or platy structure. This horizon is 0 to 30 percent pebbles. Some pedons have a BCt or BC horizon.
The 2C horizon is multicolored or has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 through 8 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6 dry or moist. It is coarse sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, or coarse sand and may be gravelly. This horizon is 5 to 30 percent pebbles. In some pedons its upper boundary is deeper than 60 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Smiling and Tolo series. Smiling soils have hue of 7.5YR in the upper part of the particle-size control section. Tolo soils have a 2Btb horizon that is silt loam or silty clay loam.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brusher soils are on footslope and moisture receptive toeslopes of mountains. These soils formed in highly weathered colluvium, residuum, and valley fill from granitic or porphyritic volcanic rocks with a mantle of volcanic ash and loess. Slopes are 0 to 40 percent. Elevations range from 2,300 to 4,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 18 to 25 inches. The mean January temperature is about 22 degrees F, the mean July temperature is about 64 degrees F, and the mean annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Henneway soils and the Canteen, Centralpeak, Dinkelman, Friedlander, and Inkler soils. Canteen, Centralpeak, and Dinkelman soils are coarse loamy. Friedlander soils are fine. Inkler soils are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to very rapid runoff; permeability is moderate in the upper solum, moderate to moderately slow in the lower solum, and rapid in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, watershed, and grazing are the principal uses. The native vegetation is Douglas-fir, grand fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, Englemann spruce, paper birch, and Rocky Mountain maple, with an understory of pachystima, pinegrass, longtube twinflower, Utah honeysuckle, common snowberry, redosier dogwood, queencup beadlily, mallow ninebark, thimbleberry, and black mountain huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colville Indian Reservation; Ferry County, Washington, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 7 inches and a cambic horizon from 10 to 22 inches comprised of volcanic ash and loess, an albic horizon from 22 to 29 inches, and an argillic horizon from 29 to 61 inches.