LOCATION BURBANK WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Burbank loamy sand - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; many roots; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 16 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; few roots; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Bk1--16 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; few roots; about 45 percent pebbles, some with lime-silica coatings on the lower side; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bk2--30 to 35 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose; about 85 percent pebbles and cobbles, some completely coated with lime-silica; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Bk3--35 to 60 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) extremely gravelly sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; single grained; loose; about 85 percent pebbles and cobbles; some coated with lime-silica on lower side; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Benton County, Washington; 100 feet west of bombing range road and gravel pit between West Richland and U.S. Hwy 410, NE1/4SE1/ section 7, T. 9 N., R. 28 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 56 degrees F. These soils are usually dry when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F., and are moist during the winter and spring. The particle-size control section (10 to 40 inches) is coarse sand to loamy fine sand and averages 35 to 75 percent coarse fragments. Dark colors are inherited from the basaltic parent materialand organic matter content is less than 1 percent throughout. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The A horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4 dry and 1 to 3 moist. Some pedons are cobbly or stony.
The Bw horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. Texture is loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Coarse fragments range from 5 to 60 percent.
The Bk horizon has value of 4 to 7, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3. It is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, sand, or coarse sand with 35 to 75 percent coarse fragments.
The C horizon has value of 3 to 5, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4. It is loamy coarse sand, sand or coarse sand and averages 45 to 90 percent coarse fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alderdale, Crunkvar, Denio, Doowak, Sheeprock, Skaha, Ulymeyer (T), and Wrango series. Alderdale soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Denio soils lack a Bk horizon and formed in alluvium from granitic rocks. Doowak soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 52 degrees F and have rock fragments of mixed lithology. Sheeprock soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F and are calcareous throughout. Crunkvar, Skaha, and Ulymeyer soils lack a Bk horizon and are non effervescent throughout. Wrango soils are effervescent in all parts except a 1 to 4 inch thick A horizon and formed in alluvium from mixed volcanic rocks.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Burbank soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments at elevations of 300 to 1,300 feet. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. The soils formed in basaltic gravelly and cobbly glacial outwash alluvial deposits mantled by a mixture of alluvium and eolian sand. The climate is arid; summers are hot and dry and winters are cool and moist. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. The average January temperature is 30 degrees F. The average July temperature is 76 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 49 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free season is 140 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ephrata, Quincy, and Winchester soils. Ephrata soils have a cambic horizon and are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Quincy and Winchester soils are sandy throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; very slow to medium runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Native range and irrigated cropland. Native vegetation is needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, antelope bitterbrush, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington and north-central Oregon. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Benton County, Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from 0 to 5 inches, a zone of carbonate removal from 5 to 16 inches, and a zone of carbonate and silica accumulation from 16 to 35 inches.