LOCATION CORDY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy, glassy over mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cordy loam-woodland, on a 8 percent north facing slope at an elevation of 3,500 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.
Oi--1/2 to 0 inches; undecomposed needles and twigs.
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent sand-size pumice 0.5 to 2 mm and 5 percent pumice 2 to 5 mm in diameter; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--4 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent sand-size pumice 0.5 to 2 mm and 5 percent pumice 2 to 5 mm in diameter; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 13 inches thick)
Bw--16 to 21 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent sand-size pumice 0.5 to 2 mm in diameter; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
2Bw1--21 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent sand-size pumice 0.5 to 2 mm in diameter; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)
2Bw2--36 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent sand-size pumice 0.5 to 2 mm in diameter; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; about 5 miles west of Douglas, WA, about 1,800 feet south of the northeast corner of section 1, T. 24 N., R. 21 E.; (Latitude 47 degrees 36 minutes 20 seconds N, Longitude 120 degrees 8 minutes 5 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is about 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry for 75 to 90 days following the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 12 to 18 inches thick. The upper 10 to 20 inches of the 10 to 40 inch particle-size control section has moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.25 g/cm, 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass content, including 5 to 15 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm diameter and 0 to 5 percent pumice 2.0 to 5.0 mm in diameter, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of acid oxalate extractable iron of 0.15 to 0.40 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent trace of rock fragments and an apparent field estimated clay content of 8 to 15 percent. Depth to 2Bw horizon is 20 to 30 inches. The lower part of control section has 5 to 10 percent pebbles, less than 30 percent volcanic ash and pumice and field estimated clay content of 12 to 15 percent.
The A horizon has value 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is slightly acid to neutral. Base saturation (by sum) is 60 to 80 percent with some part being less than 75 percent.
The Bw horizon has value 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist. It is slightly acid to neutral.
The 2Bw horizons have value 4 or 5 dry or moist. Chroma is 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is silt loam or loam and is neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cordy soils are on north-facing mountainsides. Slopes are 3 to 60 percent. They formed in mixed loess, volcanic ash and pumice over older loess. Elevation is 3,000 to 4,200 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 18 to 24 inches. Average January temperature is about 23 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 68 degrees F.; and average annual temperature is about 44 degrees F. Frost-free season is 80 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Badge, Lorena, Shinn and Stemilt soils. Badge and Stemilt soils are on sideslopes and have over 35 percent rock fragments in profile. Lorena and Shinn soils are on ridgetops and have bedrock at depth less than 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cordy soils are primarily used for timber production and livestock grazing. The potential native vegetation is Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine with an understory of pinegrass, snowberry, spirea, and balsam root.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from surface to 16 inches and a cambic horizon from 16 to 60 inches. There is 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass in the top part of the control section. The particle size control section is from 10 to 40 inches (A2 and Bw horizons). The soil is marginal to being an Andisol.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL lab data is available for type pedon 93P369.