LOCATION CULVOP WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, amorphic Lithic Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Culvop very gravelly loam, under a coniferous forest on a 60 percent north facing slope at an elevation of 5,200 feet. This soil was moist when described. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures)
Oi--1 to 0 inches; undecomposed forest litter, abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 1 1/2 inch thick)
E--0 to 1 inch; gray (10YR 6/1) gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine crumb structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent pebbles, moderately acid (pH 6.9); clear smooth boundary. (1/2 to 1 1/2 inch thick)
Bs1--1 to 10 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Bs2--10 to 16 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2R--16 inches, serpentine.
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; about 4 miles northwest of Blewett Pass; 1,000 feet west of center of sec. 9, T. 22 N., R. 17 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic contact with serpentine ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.85 to 1.10 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 30 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of more than 2.0 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples, and 35 to 65 percent rock fragments. Soil reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The E horizon has dry value of 6 or 7, chroma of 1 or 2 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
The Bs horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is very gravelly loam or extremely gravelly loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Coerock series. Coerock soils have 10 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Culvop soils are on mountains that generally have a northerly aspect. Slopes are 30 to 65 percent. They formed in colluvium and residuum from serpentine mixed with volcanic ash. Elevations are 5,000 to 6,800 feet. They are in a continental climate with warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 35 to 50 inches. The mean January temperature is about 22 degrees F, and the mean July temperature is about 59 degrees. The mean annual air temperature is 39 to 41 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Culving, Kingmont, and Serpen soils. Culving soils are moderately deep. Kingmont and Serpen soils are deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid and very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for commercial woodland, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, with an understory of pachystima, huckleberry, elksedge, willow, arnica, sidebells pyrola, lupine, and rose.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slope of Cascade Mountains in southern Chelan County. The series is small extent.
SOURCE OF NAME: Name is coined.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Chelan County, Washington, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an albic horizon from the mineral surface to 1 inch, a cambic horizon from 1 to 16 inches, and a lithic contact at 16 inches. This soil was formerly called Culving Variant. This draft reflects a change in classification due to Andisols order from medial-skeletal Lithic Entic Cryandepts to ashy-skeletal Lithic Vitricryands.