LOCATION CLENAGE            WA
Established Series
Rev. BJG/HRG/KWH
02/97

CLENAGE SERIES


The Clenage series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from basalt and interbedded sediments with additions of loess on ridgetops and hillslopes. Slopes are 15 to 30 percent. Average annual precipitation is about 8 inches and average annual temperature is about 50 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Xeric Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Clenage very gravelly loam - rangeland, on a 20 percent south-facing slope at an elevation of 1,520 feet. (When described on August 10, 1993, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated.)

A--0 to 3 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine platy structure parting to fine and medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; few fine interstitial and irregular pores; 30 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Bt1--3 to 8 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and common medium and coarse roots; many fine and and medium interstitial and tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 20 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--8 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; many fine and medium interstitial and tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 30 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizon is 10 to 18 inches thick)

2Btk1--16 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong fine and medium angular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and medium roots; many fine to coarse irregular pores; many prominent clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; few distinct lime coats on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; 30 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

3Btk2--20 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; common distinct lime coats on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; 35 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

4R--25 inches; fractured basalt with silica coatings over 30 percent of total surface area.

TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington, about 3.5 miles southwest of Vantage, WA, about 3,100 feet east and 850 feet north of the southwest corner of section 28, T. 17 N., R. 22 E.; USGS Ginkgo topographic quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 55 minutes 48 seconds N. and long. 120 degrees 04 minutes 42 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature at the lithic contact ranges from 50 to 56 degrees F. These soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section more than half of the time. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 42 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 35 to 50 percent coarse fragments by volume. Organic matter is estimated to range from 0.5 to 1 percent. Solum thickness and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches.

The A horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry, and a chroma of 2 or 3 moist.

The Bt horizons have value of 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. They are gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay loam. They are neutral or slightly alkaline.

The 2Btk and 3Btk horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. They are very gravelly clay, extremely cobbly clay, or extremely gravelly clay. Structure is moderate to strong subangular blocky, angular blocky or prismatic. They are slightly or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Berning, Bilbo, Havingdon, Lizzysprings (T), Maderbak, Pula, Pulcan, Surgem, Tenmile, Vanwyper and Zephan series. Berning, Bilbo, Lizzysprings, Pula and Tenmile soils are more than 40 inches to bedrock. Havingdon soils have clay films along fracture planes of chert bedrock and have 50 to 80 percent pebbles of dominantly angular chert and shale in the particle-size control section. Maderbak soils lack fractured basalt with silica coatings and lack a lithologic discontinuity in the argillic horizon. Pulcan and Zephan soils have a paralithic contact within 40 inches. Surgem and Vanwyper soils lack accumulations of secondary lime at the lithic contact and lack a lithologic discontinuity in the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Clenage soils are on ridgetops and hill slopes and have slopes of 15 to 30 percent. These soils formed in interbedded sediments, residuum and colluvium from basalt and some loess. Elevations are 600 to 2,000 feet. These soils are in an arid climate with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 9 inches. The average January temperature is about 29 degrees F.; the average July temperature is about 50 degrees F.; and the average annual temperature is about 49 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 195 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fortyday, Drino, Kiona, Nevo, and Sohappy series. Drino soils are on hillslopes and are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Fortyday soils are on ridges and plateau sideslopes and are 12 to 20 inches to a lithic contact. Kiona soils are on hillslopes and colluvial sideslopes and are more than 40 inches deep. Nevo soils are on hillslopes, ridgetops and benches and are 5 to 12 inches to a lithic contact. Sohappy soils are on benches and toeslopes and are more than 40 inches deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to rapid runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandburg bluegrass and Wyoming big sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Washington. Series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, Yakima Training Center, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include: Ochric epipedon - 0 to 8 inches (A and Bt1 horizons) Argillic horizon - 3 to 25 inches (Bt1, Bt2, 2Btk1 and part of the 3Btk2 horizons) PSCS - zone from 3 to 23 inches (Bt1, Bt2, 2Btk1 and part of the 3Btk2 horizons). This soil is reclassified based on amendment 17 of Soil Taxonomy.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.