LOCATION CALOUSE WA+ID OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Calouse silt loam, grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
A2--6 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, slightly friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
BA1--12 to 21 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium prismatic parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
BA2--21 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak, fine and medium prismatic and weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; few dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) organic coatings on peds and in the root channels; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw3--26 to 32 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine and very fine pores; few lime fragments, few lime coatings in pores and in root channels; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bk1--32 to 37 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; lime is throughout the matrix and concentrated in the pores and root channels; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH8.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bk2--37 to 48 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; lime in root channels and pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
Bk3--48 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few roots, very fine and fine pores; lime in pores and irregular fractures; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline. (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Whitman County Washington; 1700 feet north and 80 feet east of the SW corner of sec. 2, T. 19 N., R. 41 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature at depths of 20 inches ranges from 47 degrees to 54 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depths of 4 to 12 inches for 90 to 105 consecutive days in the summer and autumn. The control section contains 18 to 23 percent clay and less than 15 percent particles coarser than very fine sand. Depth to secondary lime ranges from 20 to 44 inches.
The A and BA horizons have value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Reaction is moderately acid to slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 moist or dry. It is silt loam or light silty clay loam and has weak or moderate subangular blocky or prismatic structure. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has value of 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is massive or has weak subangular blocky structure. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline. It contains 0 to 5 percent fine and medium durinodes in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Athena and Curant series. Athena soils lack lime at depths of less than 40 inches. Curant soils have 10 to 30 percent coarse fragments in the BC and 2C horizons above depth of 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are at elevations of 1,500 to 2,700 feet on undulating to hilly uplands in a continental temperate climate having an annual precipitation of 15 to 18 inches with relatively dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean January temperature is 28 degrees F., mean July temperature is 68 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is 48 degrees F. The average frost-free season is 120 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Athena, Lance, Reardan, and Uhlig soils. Athena soils lack secondary carbonates to a depth of 44 inches. Lance soils have an ochric epipedon and are calcareous in all horizons. Reardan soils have an argillic horizon. Uhlig soils are coarse-loamy and lack secondary carbonates within 44 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff, depending on slope gradient; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for production of small grain, peas, alfalfa, and grasses for hay and pasture. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Idaho fescue, and western yarrow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and northern Idaho in the loess areas. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whitman County, Washington, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 26 inches, a cambic horizon from 26 to 32 inches, and a zone of carbonate accumulation from 32 to 60 inches.