LOCATION CAULEY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cauley silt loam-forested, on a 32 percent west-facing slope at an elevation of 300 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 15 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 16 inches)
Bw1--15 to 33 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly silt loam; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bw2--33 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bw3--42 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse and very coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and coarse and few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular pores; 20 percent grave; and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington; in the town of Lyle, Washington; about 500 feet north and 1,125 feet west of the southeast corner of section 34, T.3N., R.12E. (Latitude 45 degrees, 41 minutes, 55 seconds N, and Longitude 121 degrees, 17 minutes, 00 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in the moisture control section for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Solum thickness is 60 or more inches. Clay content in the particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent and coarse fragments average 10 to 25 percent. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 16 inches thick.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 4 to 6 dry and moist. Texture is silt loam or gravelly silt loam. Reaction is slightly acid or moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Laughlin, Maydol, Sharpshooter, and Steiwer series. Laughlin soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact. Maydol soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Steiwer soils are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. Sharpshooter soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice and are 40 to 60 inches to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cauley soils are on scoured floodwater terraces and hillsides at elevation of 100 to 600 feet. Slopes are 5 to 65 percent. These soils formed in floodwater alluvium and loess. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 25 inches. The average January temperature is 29 degrees F. and average July temperature is 67 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free season is 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gunn and Wind River soils. Gunn soils are on side slopes and have argillic horizons. Wind River soils are on terraces and hillsides and are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for livestock grazing, crop production, building sites, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly yarrow, poison-oak, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Idaho fescue.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Klickitat County, Washington; MLRA 6. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Klickitat County, Washington, 2003. Name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 15 inches
Cambic horizon - the zone from 15 to 60 inches
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the A2, the Bw1 and part of the Bw2 horizons).