LOCATION CACHEBUTTE         WA
Established Series
Rev. PAD/TLA
01/2007

CACHEBUTTE SERIES


The Cachebutte series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in loess and volcanic ash over glacial outwash. Cachebutte soils are on kames and terraces and in glacial drainage channels on glaciated plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Average annual precipitation is about 13 inches and average annual temperature is about 48 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, glassy over mixed, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Cachebutte ashy sandy loam - cropland on a 1 percent slope at 2,400 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures and spot plate reaction is used for pH values.)

Ap--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few medium tubular pores; 5 percent ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)

A--6 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few medium tubular pores; 3 percent ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 18 inches thick)

Bw--22 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few medium tubular and few very fine irregular pores; 10 percent ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 15 percent gravel and one percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)

2Bk1--28 to 34 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky and single grain structure; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; many distinct continuous coatings of secondary carbonates on the undersides of rock fragments, violently effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)

2Bk2--34 to 60 inches; extremely cobbly multicolored coarse sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; many distinct continuous coatings of secondary carbonates on the undersides of rock fragments, strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington. Approximately 4 miles southeast of Haynes Lake; 600 feet east and 700 feet north of the southwest corner of section 14, T. 25 N., R. 27 E. (Latitude 47 degrees 40 minutes 25 seconds N, Longitude 119 degrees 24 minutes 09 seconds W)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually moist in the moisture control section but are dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 28 inches thick. The upper 15 to 27 inches of the 10 to 40 inch particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.20 to 1.45 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, including 0 to 10 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.15 to 0.40 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent, 0 to 30 percent rock fragments, and an apparent field estimated clay content of 3 to 10 percent. The lower part of the particle-size control section to 40 inches has less than 20 percent volcanic glass, 35 to 60 percent rock fragments and 1 to 5 percent clay. Depth to sandy-skeletal outwash is 25 to 35 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates is 24 to 40 inches.

The Ap and A horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist. Textures are ashy loam or ashy sandy loam. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.

The Bw horizon has a chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Textures are ashy sandy loam or gravelly ashy sandy loam.

The 2Bk1 horizon has a chroma of 2 or 3 dry. Textures are very gravelly fine sandy loam or very cobbly sandy loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

The 2Bk2 horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry 2 or 3 moist and a chroma of 1 or 2 dry or moist. Textures are gravelly sand, gravelly loamy sand and extremely cobbly sand. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Marmont series. The Marmont series has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc and 35 to 50 percent pumice, 2.0 to 5.0 mm. in diameter in the upper part of the particle-size control section and a 10 to 20 inch thick mollic epipedon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cachebutte soils are on kames and terraces and in outwash channels on glaciated plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in loess and volcanic ash over glacial outwash. Elevations are 1,400 to 3,200 feet. The semi-arid climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Average annual temperature is 47 to 49 degrees F. Average January temperature is 26 degrees F. and average July temperature is about 70 degrees F. Frost-free season is 110 to 165 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alecanyon, Nemire and Siweeka soils. Alecanyon soils are on eskers and are shallow to sandy-skeletal outwash. Nemire soils are in outwash channels, glaciolacustrine bottoms, swales, and sideslopes of kames and terraces and have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Siweeka soils are on till plains on basalt plateaus and are moderately deep to cemented duripan.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, very slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the upper soil profile and very rapid through the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Cachebutte soils are used for crop production and livestock grazing. Wheat and barley are the principal crops. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, threetip sagebrush, needleandthread, and arrowleaf balsamroot.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Douglas County, Washington. Series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 22 inches, a cambic horizon from 22 to 28 inches and 5 to 10 percent ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter and an estimated 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass from 0 to 28 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates is 28 inches. The particle size control section is a zone from 10 to 40 inches.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL lab data is available for this pedon number 90P0351.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.