LOCATION CATHCART WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, mixed, mesic Typic Haploxerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Cathcart medial loam-pasture. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) medial loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 5 percent granitic pebbles, 2mm to 3/4 inches in diameter; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--8 to 17 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) medial loam; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; few fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular and interstitial pores; 12 percent granitic pebbles 2mm to 3/4 inches in diameter; 5 percent angular weathered sandstone fragments 1 to 3 inches in diameter; 5 percent concretions 2 to 4mm in diameter; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 22 inches thick)
Bw2--17 to 25 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) medial loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; few fine and very fine roots; few fine tubular and common fine interstitial pores; 10 percent granitic pebbles 2mm to 3/4 inches in diameter; 5 percent concretions 2 to 4mm in diameter; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 22 inches thick)
BC--25 to 35 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very paragravelly medial sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; many fine prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine interstitial pores; 35 percent weathered angular sandstone fragments 3/4 to 3 inches in diameter; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C1--35 to 53 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) paragravelly medial loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; many medium distinct dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; few fine interstitial pores; 20 percent weathered angular sandstone fragments 3/4 to 3 inches in diameter; slightly acid (pH 6.2) clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C2--53 to 69 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) extremely paragravelly medial loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; many medium prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) dry; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; few fine and medium interstitial pores; 70 percent weathered angular sandstone fragments 3/4 to 3 inches in diameter; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 36 inches thick)
Cr--69 to 74 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) siltstone with dark reddish brown (2.5YR 2/4) coatings in cracks, light gray (5Y 7/2) with dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) dry; siltstone is slightly weathered.
TYPE LOCATION: Snohomish County, Washington; 1,000 feet west and 1,500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 12, T. 32 N., R. 4 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F. Depth to a paralithic contact ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. Cathcart soils are usually moist, but they are dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 45 to 60 consecutive days. The particle-size control section contains a weighted average of 0 to 15 percent unweathered rock fragments. The lower part is 10 to 60 percent weathered rock fragments and 0 to 5 percent hard rock fragments. The 15-bar water on air-dried samples is 12 to 15 percent. It is assumed the 15-bar water on moist samples is above 30 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 through 4 moist, 3 through 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3 moist, 1 through 6 dry. It has granular or subangular blocky structure. In forested, undisturbed areas some pedons have an E horizons less than 1 inch thick. Reaction is very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5 moist, 3 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 8 moist and dry. It is medial sandy loam, medial fine sandy loam, medial loam, or medial silt loam. This horizon has subangular blocky or angular blocky structure. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5YR through 2.5Y, value of 3 through 6 moist, 3 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 7 moist or dry. It is medial loam, medial sandy loam, medial clay loam, gravelly medial loam, or gravelly medial sandy loam. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cathcart soils are on uplands at elevations of 50 to 1,400 feet. Slopes range from 2 to 65 percent. These soils formed in glacial drift, volcanic ash, sandstone, and siltstone. Cathcart soils are in a humid climate that has cool dry summers and mild wet winters. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 60 inches, most of which falls between October and April. The mean January temperature is 37 degrees F; mean July temperature is 63 degrees F; and mean annual temperature is 49oF. The frost-free season is 160 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alderwood, Cassolary, Indianola, Kitsap, McKenna, Norma, Quilcene, Sinclair, and Whidbey soils and the competing Nati, Sehome, and Squalicum soils. Alderwood, Sinclair, and Whidbey soils contain more than 35 percent unweathered rock fragments in the control section and have a duripan. Cassolary soils are coarse-loamy. Indianola soils are sandy. Kitsap and Quilcene soils contain more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. McKenna and Norma soils have an aquic moisture regime. Nati soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, cropland, wildlife, recreation and watershed are the principal uses. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and red alder, with an understory of vine maple, salal, red huckleberry, Oregongrape, western brackenfern, trailing blackberry, and western swordfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Washington; MLRA 2. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Snohomish County, Washington, 1938.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are on ochric epipedon from the surface to 8 inches and a cambic horizon from 8 to 35 inches, and estimated andic properties throughout. The bulk density is assumed to be between 0.85 to 1.00 in much of the particle-size control section. Need to evaluate the features that were called mottles and later change to redox concentrations. The soil is called well drained with redox at 25 inches. Based on the morphology the subgroup should be Aquic, yet no water table is described. Should assume the red colors are litho-chromatic from the weathering of the sandstone and siltstone.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data S73 WA-1-4 NSSL Lincoln, Nebraska.