LOCATION BUTTONCREEK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Haploxerandic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Buttoncreek gravelly ashy fine sandy loam, forestland on a 6 percent east-facing slope at an elevation of 3,720 feet. (When described on July 18, 1994 the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oe--0 to 1 inch; moderately decomposed needles, leaves and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A--1 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and moderately smeary; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly ashy fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, and moderately smeary; moderate very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 30 percent pebbles and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
2C1--14 to 26 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 35 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.
2C2--26 to 33 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 50 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2C horizon is 10 to 30 inches thick)
3C3--33 to 61 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 60 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Okanogan County, Washington; about 21 miles north northeast of Winthrop, WA, about 2,150 feet east and 650 feet north of the southeast corner of section 1, T. 37 N., R. 20 E. (Latitude 48 degrees 43' 53"N., Longitude 120 degrees 17' 6"W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 37 to 42 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Thickness of the volcanic ash mantle ranges from 7 to 14 inches and has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.75 to 0.90 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 8 to 12 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section has 1 to 8 percent clay and 65 to 80 percent rock fragments. Bedrock is more than 60 inches. Reaction is slightly acid to neutral thoughout.
The A horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
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 very cobbly or very gravelly ashy fine sandy loam. It has 25 to 40 percent pebbles and 10 to 30 percent cobbles.
The 2C horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly sandy loam. It has 45 to 60 percent gravel and 10 to 30 percent cobbles.
The 3C horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist and chroma or 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is extremely gravelly loamy sand or extremely gravelly sand. It has 50 to 70 percent gravel and 5 to 25 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brody, Buhrig, Devore, Eaglecap, Finney, Gatewall, Holloway, Hun, Moses, Myerscreek, Otwin, Petty, Phillcher, Prouty, Remmel, Surgh, Venson, and Waldbillig series. The Brody, Buhrig, Devore, Otwin, and Venson soils are 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact. The Moses and Prouty soils are 20 to 40 inches to paralithic contact. Myerscreek soils have a 2Cd horizon. Phillcher soils have a mean soil temperature of 35 to 38 degrees F and are dry for less than 45 consecutive days. Eaglecap soils have a mean soil temperature of 42 to 47 degrees F. Holloway soils are loams and silt loams throughout. Hun soils have a Bs horizon. Petty soils have 20 to 30 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Surgh and Finney soils have bedrock at 40 to 60 inches. Remmel soils have 35 to 65 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Waldbillig soils have lamellae and a very hard 2E and Bt horizon. Gatewall soils have 35 to 60 percent rock fragments and 8 to 15 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Buttoncreek soils are on fans and footslopes and have slopes of 5 to 25 percent. Elevations range from 3,200 to 3,900 feet. These soils formed in glacial till and alluvium from volcanic and sedimentary with a mantle of volcanic glass 7 to 14 inches thick. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers. The average annual precipitation ranges from 25 to 35 inches. The average January temperature ranges from ranges from 18 to 22 degrees F, average July temperature ranges from 52 to 58 degrees F, and the average annual temperature ranges from 37 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 70 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Goddard, and Granflat soils. Goddard soils are on outwash terraces and terrace escarpments and are frigid. Granflat soils are on outwash terraces, have a mollic epipedon, and are frigid.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, low to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the subsoil and very rapid permeability in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, watershed, recreation, and livestock grazing. Douglas-fir, subalpine-fir, Engelman spruce, Scouler willow, grouse huckleberry, black mountain huckleberry, pinegrass, shinyleaf spirea, pachystima, Cascades azalea and western princes pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Okanogan County, Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Okanogan National Forest, Okanogan County, Washington, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - 1 to 7 inches (A horizon)
Cambic epipedon - 7 to 14 inches (Bw horizon)
Andic soil properties from 1 to 14 inches
PSCS - zone from 11 to 41 inches (part of Bw, 2C1, 2C2, and part of 3C horizons)
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.
More investigation is needed as to the presence of a udic soil moisture regime.