LOCATION DRYSEL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Argidurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Drysel loam - rangeland, on a 4 percent southwest-facing slope at 1,520 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate fine granular; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
AB--3 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few coarse roots; very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine roots; very fine irregular pores; very few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--18 to 27 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; very few distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 10 to 20 inches)
Btk--27 to 31 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; very few distinct clay films lining pores; few fine rounded soft masses of lime; 10 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2Bkqm--31 inches; very gravelly indurated duripan.
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington, about 1,350 feet east, and 1,100 feet south of the northwest corner of section 22, T. 14 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Pomona topographic quadrangle; Lat. 46 degrees 41' 26" N, Long. 120 degrees 26' 21" W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 56 degrees F. These soils are dry in the moisture control section more than half the time that the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. (about 105 to 130 days). The particle-size control section has 25 to 35 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 2 to 25 percent coarse fragments. Organic matter content is estimated to range from 1 to 2 percent. Solum thickness and depth to duripan is 20 to 40 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates is 15 to 30 inches. Depth to bedrock is typically 60 inches or more but pedons on the upper ends of fans have bedrock of 40 to 60 inches.
The A and AB horizons have value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It has weak or moderate structure. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bt and Btk horizons have value of 5 to 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. The Bt is loam, silty clay loam, or silt loam. The Btk is clay loam, gravelly clay loam, loam or gravelly loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The Btk horizon has 5 to 20 percent calcium carbonate.
The 2Bkqm horizon is indurated, has gravelly to extremely gravelly matrix 8 to 36 inches thick with 1 to 5 inches thick silica plates and is above stratified weakly to indurated alluvial material.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arbidge, Dacker, Ditchcamp, Exel, Hager, Idow, Rakane, Snowmore, Wako, Wellsed, and Wendell soils. Arbidge soils have sand and gravel below a 2 to 8 inch thick duripan at depths of 22 to more than 44 inches and mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 52 degrees F. Dacker soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 52 degrees F. Ditchcamp soils are slightly acid or neutral with no free lime above the duripan. Exel soils have Bt horizons with hue of 7.5YR or 5YR and lack free lime above the duripan. Hager soils have annual temperature of 47 to 50 degrees, have brittle layers above the duripan and have bedrock at 40 to 60 inches. Idow soils have a calcic horizon. Rokane soils are neutral in the argillic horizon and have a mean annual soil temperature of 49 to 51 degrees F. Snowmore soils have a duripan directly above bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Wako soils have a calcic horizon and 5 to 30 percent silica cemented durinodes. Wellsed soils receive summer precipitation and are strongly or very strongly alkaline. Wendell soils have duripan directly above the bedrock and have 18 to 26 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Drysel soils are on alluvial fans and have slopes of 2 to 30 percent. These soils formed in loess and alluvium. Elevations are 1,000 to 1,800. These soils are in an arid climate with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 9 inches. The average January temperature is about 29 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 71 degrees F.; and mean annual temperature is about 49 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Neppel, Scoon, and Wanapum soils. Neppel soils are on terraces and are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Scoon soils are on terraces and old alluvial fans and are loamy and 10 to 20 inches deep to a duripan. Wanapum soils are on fan piedmonts and are loamy-skeletal and 10 to 20 inches deep to a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow or medium runoff; moderately slow permeability above the duripan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Sandberg bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yakima County, Washington, Yakima Training Center,1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon, an argillic horizon from 11 to 31 inches, and an indurated lime-silica duripan at 31 inches. The particle-size control section is the zone from 11 to 31 inches (argillic horizon). The Btk horizon is not thick enough for a calcic horizon.