LOCATION CUBCREEK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Fluvaquentic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cubcreek fine sandy loam - on a 3 percent southeast-facing terrace slope at 1,700 feet elevation, under a coniferous canopy. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; needles, leaves, twigs, and cones.
Oe--1 to 2 inches; partially decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs.
A1--2 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; 10 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 12 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; 10 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 18 inches)
AC--12 to 17 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) gravelly loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive with weak fine subangular blocky structure in places; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and few medium and coarse roots; 15 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Ab--17 to 21 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak moderate subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
ACb--21 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
C1--27 to 46 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly fine sandy loam with thin strata of loam and loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist, few medium faint brown (10YR 5/3) redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; 20 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 28 inches thick)
C2--46 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) stratified gravelly fine sandy loam and loamy fine sand with thin loamy bands, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist, common medium distinct very pale brown (10YR 7/4) redox concentrations; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; 20 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation; Ferry County, Washington; about 9 miles north of the town of Keller; 1,500 feet south and 1,000 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 7, T. 31 N., R. 33 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 44 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depths of 8 and 24 inches for 60 to 75 days following the summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 5 to 25 percent rock fragments. These soils are saturated between 24 and 40 inches for more than 90 days during late winter and spring.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist. The A2 commonly is fine sandy loam, and less commonly silt loam, loam, or sandy loam. It has weak or moderate fine or medium granular or subangular blocky structure. It has 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent pebbles. Reaction is slightly acid to neutral. Some pedons do not have an Ab horizon.
Some pedons have a weakly expressed Bw horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. It commonly is stratified sandy loam and fine sandy loam, but the range includes silt loam and sand. It is gravelly in some pedons. It has 5 to 30 percent pebbles. It is neutral to slightly alkaline. Some pedons do not have an AC or AC' horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kegel and Omahaling series and the closely related Boesel, Malo, Ret, and Okanogan series. Boesel soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Kegel and Omahaling soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Malo and Okanogan soils are mesic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cubcreek soils formed in recent alluvium on low terraces and floodplains. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. Elevations range from 1,500 to 2,100 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 19 inches. Mean January temperature is about 24 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 65 degrees F, and the mean annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Garrison, Hodgson, Inkler, Kewach, Parmenter, Ret, Sanpoil, Spokane, Springdale, Wapal, and the closely related Boesel soils. Garrison and Springdale soils are mesic and are on outwash terraces. Hodgson and Kewach soils have a fine textured argillic horizon and are on lacustrine terraces. Inkler and Spokane soils are well drained on steeper mountain slopes. Parmenter and Wapal soils are well and somewhat excessively drained respectively, on outwash terraces. Ret soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick and are somewhat poorly drained. Sanpoil soils have an aquic moisture regime and are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately rapid permeability; very slow runoff. A water table is as high as 2 to 3 feet at times from February to May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, grazing, nonirrigated hay and pasture, wildlife habitat, watershed, and recreation are the principal uses. The native vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, western larch, quaking aspen, black cottonwood, sitka alder, water birch, Rocky Mountain maple, and black hawthorne. The understory includes common snowberry, pinegrass, white spirea, rose, blue wildrye, northern bedstraw, fat false-solomons-seal, Oregon-grape, aster, poison ivy, and horsetail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colville Indian Reservation; Ferry and Okanogan Counties, Washington, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are a mollic epipedon 19 inches thick overlying stratified substratum with redox features to 60 inches. The soil is assumed to have an irregular decrease of organic carbon with depth. The particle-size control section, 10 to 40 inches, averages 16 percent rock fragments.