LOCATION EKRUB WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic, shallow Xeric Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Ekrub fine sand - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine roots; slightly effervescent; 5 percent lime-silica cemented pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 or 3 inches thick)
Bkq1--3 to 12 inches; light grayish brown (10YR 6/2) fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose; common very fine roots; strongly effervescent; 5 percent lime-silica cemented pebbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bkq2--12 to 18 inches; light grayish brown (10YR 6/2) very gravelly fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained, loose; common very fine roots; violently effervescent; 1 percent cobbles, 55 percent lime-silica cemented pebbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
2Bkqm--18 inches; white (10YR 8/1) lime-silica indurated duripan; massive; rigid; violently effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Washington; about 7 miles southwest of George, 2,400 feet north and 400 feet west of the southeast corner of section 16, T. 17 N., R. 23 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the duripan ranges from 14 to 20 inches. Ekrub soils are usually dry in all parts between depths of 8 inches and the top of the duripan. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 50 degrees to 56 degrees F. The particle-size control section is sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand, and averages 35 to 60 percent coarse fragments.
The A horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
The B horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Koehler and Scoon series in other families. Koehler soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a duripan. Scoon soils have a loamy particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ekrub soils are on terraces at elevations of 300 to 2,200 feet. Slopes are 0 to 25 percent. The soils formed in eolian sands overlying a lime-silica cemented duripan. Ekrub soils occur in an arid climate with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 9 inches. The mean annual July temperature is 76 degrees F., the mean annual January temperature is 29 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 150 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burbank, Finley, Quincy, and Winchester soils and the competing Koehler soils. Burbank, Finley, Quincy, and Winchester soils lack a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow runoff; rapid permeability to the duripan, very slow within the pan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for range. Vegetation is big sagebrush, cheatgrass, needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, hopsage, and rabbitbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grant County, Washington, 1979.