LOCATION CLE ELUM WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Cle Elum loam - under a coniferous forest on a 60 percent northwest slope at an elevation of 2,600 feet. The soil was moist when described. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures)
Oi--1/2 inch to 0; undecomposed forest litter; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; few fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
E--4 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)
Bt2--29 to 36 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots, common fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Cr--36 inches; weathered sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; about 4 miles southwest of Cashmere; 2,640 feet north and 1,000 feet east of southwest corner sec. 14, T. 23 N., R. 18 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches is 47 to 49 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days in all parts between 4 and 12 inches. Base saturation of the upper part of the soil is estimated to range from 50 to 75 percent. Depth to a paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist.
The E horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is loam or silt loam. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral. The E horizon is absent in some pedons.
The Bt horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, and 2 through 4 moist. It is clay loam or sandy clay loam and is 0 to 15 percent coarse fragments. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bernhill, Boardburn, Boomer, Casabonne, Cherryhill, Cohasset, Crozier, Dalig, Fordcreek, Fives, Gunn, Holland, Hood, Hotaw, Latourell, Lettia, McGowan, Musick, Norling, Rosehaven, Sanhedrin, Scarface, Speaker, Teanaway, Tigit, Trelk, Ulhalf, Underwood, Varelum, Wilkeson, and Wohly series. Boomer, Casabonne, Centralia, Cherryhill, Cohasset, Dalig, Fives, Glenview, Gunn, Holland, Hood, Kalama, Latourell, Lettia, McGowan, Musick, Para, Rosehaven, Teanaway, Trelk, Underwood, Varelum, and Wilkeson soils are more than 40 inches deep. Crozier and Wohly soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Hotaw soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 54 to 59 degrees F and have 16 to 26 percent coarse and very coarse sand in the particle-size control section. Speaker and Tigit soils have a hue of 7.5YR or 5YR in the Bt horizon. Bernhill, Boardburn, Fordcreek, Scarface and Ulhalf soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock. Sanhedrin soils are more than 40 inches deep to bedrock, are dry for 90 to 120 consecutive days and have a soil temperature of 50 to 58 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cle Elum soils are on foothills and mountain backslopes and have slopes of 25 to 75 percent. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium from sandstone and a minor amount of loess and volcanic ash in the upper part. Elevation is 1,000 to 3,800 feet. These soils are in a continental climate of warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 18 to 35 inches. The mean January temperature is about 26 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 67 degrees F, and the average annual temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 190 to 220 days and the forst-free season is 150 to 185 days..
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Teanaway and Varelum soils and the Blag and Yaxon soils. Blag soils have a lithic contact at 10 to 20 inches. Yaxon soils have a mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, grazed woodland, recreation, and wildlife habitat, with a small amount cleared and used for cropland. Common crops are irrigated orchards and pasture. The native vegetation is ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir, with an understory of pinegrass, white spirea, and rose. South slopes are mostly ponderosa pine with an understory of bluebunch wheatgrass, elk sedge, arrowleaf balsamroot, and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern slopes of Cascade Mountains in central Washington. Cle Elum series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1937.
REMARKS: This draft reflects a change in type location. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon, from the mineral surface to 4 inches, an albic horizon from 4 to 14 inches, an argillic horizon from 14 to 36 inches, and a paralithic contact at 36 inches.