LOCATION CRACKERCREEK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over loamy-skeletal, glassy over mixed, superactive, frigid Alfic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Typical pedon of Crackercreek stony silt loam, 30 to 60 percent slopes; woodland. (all textures are apparent field textures. All colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi & Oe--0 to 1 inch; needles, twigs, mosses and partially decomposed litter.
A--1 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stony silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles and 2 percent stones; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
Bw--3 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) stony silt loam,
brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure, soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and few coarse roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Btbl--16 to 21 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular and common fine tubular pores; continuous thin stress cutans and clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent pebbles, 15 percent cobbles,and 5 percent stones; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Btb2--21 to 27 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, dark brown 910YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous thin stress cutans and clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; moderately acid; clear irregular boundary.
2Btb3--27 to 52 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; few thin stress surfaces and clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; moderately acid; abrupt irregular boundary.
3R--52 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Asotin County, Washington; about 5 miles west of Anantone; 2,200 feet south and 2,600 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 1, T. 7 N., R. 44 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist, but are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. The solum thickness and depth to lithic contact basalt is 40 to 60 inches. Thickness at the volcanic ash mantle is 14 to 20 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. it is stony silt loam, cobbly silt loam or gravelly silt loam. It is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The 2Btb horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist; It is very gravelly loam, very cobbly clay loam, very cobbly loam, extremely cobbly loam, or very gravelly clay loam. It is moderately acid through neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dufort and Maset series. Dufort soils are very deep. Maset soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crackercreek soils are on north facing mountainsides and canyon walls at elevations of 3,200 to 4,800 feet. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. The soil is formed in colluvium and residuum from basalt with a mantle of volcanic ash on the surface. The mean annual precipitation is 22 to 40 inches, the mean annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 60 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tolo series and the competing Olot series. Tolo soils are loamy in the argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium to rapid. permeability is moderate in the surface horizons and moderately slow in the subsoil.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir and western larch with an understory of pine grass, elk sedge, huckleberry and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Washington and possibly Northeastern Oregon. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Asotin County, Washington 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are a mantle high in volcanic ash from the mineral surface to 16 inches that has a moist bulk density less than 0.95gm per cubic centimeter and a ratio of measured clay to 15-bar water greater than 1.25, an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 7 inches mixed, a buried argillic horizon from 16 to 52 inches, and a lithic contact at 52 inches.