LOCATION DEERCUT            WA
Established Series
Rev. VB/TLA
01/2007

DEERCUT SERIES


The Deercut series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils formed in mixed volcanic ash and loess over a indurated duripan. Deercut soils are on side slopes and interfluves on nonglaciated plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 10 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitritorrandic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Deercut ashy fine sandy loam, cropland on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 2,600 feet. (When described on November 13, 1987 the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)

Ap--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0mm in diameter; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)

A--5 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 10 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0mm in diameter; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

2Bt1--10 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; few faint clay films on ped surfaces; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)

2Bt2--17 to 24 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine and medium interstitial pores; few distinct clay films on ped surfaces; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)

3Bkqm1--24 to 28 inches; indurated lime-silica cemented duripan; many distinct contineous very pale brown (10YR 8/3) dry secondary carbonates on duripan surfaces; violently effervescent; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

3Bkqm2--28 to 33 inches; weakly to moderately cemented lime-silica cemented duripan, thin strata of non-cemented silt loam and gravelly silt loam material; violently effervescent; abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)

4R--33 inches; basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; about 7 miles northwest of Douglas; 1,320 feet north and 1,000 feet west of southeast corner of section 1, T.25N., R.23E. (Latitude 47 degrees 41 minutes 54 seconds N, Longitude 119 degrees 53 minutes 54 seconds W)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in the moisture control section for more than half the cumulative time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 17 inches thick. The argillic horizon contains 11 to 18 percent clay and 15 percent or more fine sand or coarser. The upper 10 to 17 inches of the profile has an estimated 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass, including 5 to 30 percent sand-size pumice in the 0.02 to 2mm size fraction, a moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.35 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.15 to 0.30 percent and field estimated clay of 4 to 10 percent. Depth to indurated lime-silica duripan ranges from 20 to 40 inches and depth to basalt is 30 to 60 inches.

The Ap horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry. Chroma is 2 or 3 dry or moist.

The A horizon has chroma of 3 or 4 dry and 2 or 3 moist. Reacton is neutral or slightly alkaline. Textures are ashy fine sandy loam or ashy sandy loam.

The 2Bt1 horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist. Chroma is 3 or 4 dry. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Bt2 horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry and 4 to 6 moist. Chroma is 3 or 4 dry. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Deercut soils are on sideslopes and interfluves of nonglaciated plateaus at elevations of 1,900 to 2,800 feet. These soils formed in a mixture of volcanic ash and loess over an indurated duripan. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The semiarid climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average January temperature is 27 degrees F., average July temperature is 71 degrees F., and average annual temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. Frost- free season is 130 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aarup, Selah, Slusser, Winblow and Whiteye soils. Aarup soils are shallow. Selah soils lack an ash mantle and are fine-loamy. Slusser soils are deep. Winblow soils lack an argillic horizon. Whiteye soils are shallow to an indurated pan.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to slow runoff; moderate permeability above the duripan, very slow through the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Deercut soils are used mainly for wheat and barley production. Small areas are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, balsamroot, lupine, and Wyoming big sagebrush.

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, 1998.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 10 inches and an argillic horizon from 10 to 24 inches. Sand-size pumice in the upper 10 inches is 10 percent and the estimated volcanic glass content is 30 to 60 percent. An indurated lime-silica duripan is at 24 inches. The particle size control section is the zone from 10 to 24 inches (the 2Bt1 and the 2Bt2 horizons)


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.