LOCATION DOMELL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, amorphic, frigid Alic Hapludands
TYPICAL PEDON: Domell sandy loam - under a coniferous forest on a 24 percent convex southeast-facing lower back slope at an elevation of 2,240 feet. (The soil was moist when described. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oe--5 to 3 inches; loose, partially decomposed organic litter, composed of needles, leaves, twigs, bark and cones; abrupt smooth boundary. (l to 3 inches thick)
Oa--3 inches to 0; decomposed organic material; abrupt smooth boundary. (l to 3 inches thick)
Al--0 to 5 inches; dark brown (l0YR 3/3) sandy loam, dark brown (l0YR 4/3) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic and weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine pores; l0 percent subangular unweathered pebbles (2-l0 mm in diameter), l0 percent weathered, rounded and subangular pumice fragments (3-8 cm in diameter); moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.
A2--5 to ll inches; dark brown (l0YR 3/3) sandy loam, brown (l0YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic and weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine pores; l0 percent subangular hard pebbles (2-l2 mm in diameter), 5 percent weathered, rounded and subangular pumice fragments (3-8 cm in diameter); moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 16 inches)
Bw1--ll to 23 inches; dark brown (l0YR 3/3) gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (l0YR 6/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine, medium and coarse roots; common fine pores; l5 percent subangular unweathered pebbles (2-20 mm in diameter), l0 percent weathered, rounded and subangular pumice fragments (2-6 cm in diameter); slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (l0 to 20 inches thick)
Bw2--23 to 37 inches; dark yellowish brown (l0YR 4/4) sandy loam, very pale brown (l0YR 7/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic and weakly smeary; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; 5 percent subangular unweathered pebbles (2-10 mm in diameter), 15 percent weathered pumice fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
Bw3--37 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic and weakly smeary; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; 5 percent subangular unweathered pebbles (2-10 mm in diameter), 5 percent weathered pumice fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis County, Washington; 1,400 feet N. and 1,700 feet E. of the southwest corner of section 18, T. 11 N., R. 5 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Average annual soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 44 to 46 F. Pebble size pumice fragments which are heavily weathered (soft) range from 5 to 30 percent throughout the profile. The control section has less than 18 percent clay by apparent field texture. Domell soils are underlain by alpine ablation and basal till at depths of 50 to 60 inches in some pedons. The soil ranges from slightly acid to moderately acid throughout the profile.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Hard pebbles range from 5 to 10 percent.
The Bw1 horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry. It is loam, fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Hard pebbles range from 5 to 20 percent and cobbles from 0 to 10 percent.
The Bw2 and Bw3 or BC horizons have value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 4 through 6 moist and dry. It is loam or sandy loam. Hard pebbles range from 5 to 20 percent and cobbles from 0 to 10 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beigle, Giveout, Marty, Murtip and Tolany soils and the similar Larchmount, Lempira, Murtip, and Volash series. Beigle soils have bedrock at 40 to 60 inches. Giveout are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. Marty soils have a Bw horizon with hue of 5YR or 2.5YR. Murtip soils have apparent 18 to 24 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Tolany soils lack pumice fragments in the particle-size control section. Larchmount and Lempira soils have an umbric epipedon more than 20 inches thick and have more than 18 percent clay in the control section. Murtip soils are strongly acid or very strongly acid throughout. Volash soils have a xeric moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Domell soils are on convex mountain slopes, benches, and ridgetops of the central Cascades in southeastern Lewis County, Washington. Landforms associated with Domell soils show evidence of rounding and sculpting by alpine glaciation. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. These soils formed in lahar or mud flow material with a high content of volcanic ash and pumice. The lahar is overlain by a mantle of aerially deposited volcanic ash and pumice fragments. Domell soils are underlain by ablation and weakly cemented basal till at depths greater than 60 inches. The climate is characterized by cool dry summers and cool wet winters. Average annual precipitation is 70 to 90 inches. Average annual air temperature is 42 to 44 F. The growing season (28 F.) is 160 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Zynbar soils and the Cinebar, Hatchet, Hoffstadt, Ohana and Schneider soils. Cinebar soils have a mesic temperature regime. Hatchet soils are medial- skeletal and have a cryic temperature regime. Hoffstadt soils are medial-skeletal. Ohana soils are medial-skeletal, have a spodic horizon and a cryic temperature regime. Schneider soils are medial-skeletal and have a mesic temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, watershed and wildlife habitat. Overstory vegetation is western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, and red alder. Understory and ground vegetation are tree seedlings, vine maple, western swordfern, Oregon oxalis, western rattlesnake plantain, violet, devilsclub, Pacific trillium, deerfern, western brackenfern, red huckleberry, trailing blackberry and Oregongrape.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountain slopes of the Central Cascades in southeastern Lewis and northeastern Cowlitz Counties, Washington. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lewis County, Washington, l979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an umbric epipedon from the mineral surface to 11 inches, a cambic horizon from 11 to 60 inches. This description reflects a change in classification based on amendment 16. The particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of less than 0.90 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of more than 1 percent.