LOCATION ELIZA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, acid, mesic Sulfic Fluvaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Eliza silt loam - on a level slope in pasture at 5 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; medium acid (pH 5.6) moist; strongly acid (pH 5.4) dry; abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick).
Cg1--11 to 15 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) and light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR\5/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; many very fine and fine irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.4) moist; very strongly acid (pH 4.8) dry; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
Cg2--15 to 19 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) fine sandy loam, light gray (5Y 6/1) dry; many coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.8) moist, (pH 4.6) dry; abrupt smooth boundary.
Cg3--19 to 24 inches; dark gray (N 4/) fine sandy loam (gray (N6/) dry; many medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) mottles; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.6) moist and dry; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the C2 and C3 horizons is 5 to 40 inches.
Cg4--24 to 34 inches; stratified dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam, gray (N5/) fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) sand; gray (N5/), light gray (N6/), and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) dry; massive in silt loam and fine sandy loam, single grain in sand; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine irregular pores; very strongly acid (ph 4.6) moist, extremely acid (pH 4.0); clear smooth boundary.
Cg5--34 to 44 inches; stratified dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam, dark gray (5Y 4/1) fine sandy loam, and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), light gray (N7/), and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; massive in silt loam and fine sandy loam, single grain in sand; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; very few very fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.6) moist, extremely acid (pH 3.8) dry; abrupt smooth boundary.
Cg6--44 to 52 inches; stratified dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam and fine sandy loam and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) sand; light gray (N6/ and N7/) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; massive in silt loam and fine sandy loam and single grain in sand; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; very strongly acid (pH\4.8) moist, extremely acid (pH 4.0) dry; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the C4, C5, and C6 horizons is 5 to 40 inches).
Cg7--52 to 60 inches; stratified dark gray (N4/) silt loam and fine sandy loam and yellowish brown (10YR\5/8) sand; gray (N5/ and N6/) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) dry; massive in silt loam and fine sandy loam and single grain in sand; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; neutral (pH 6.8) moist, strongly acid (pH 5.4) dry.
TYPE LOCATION: Whatcom County, Washington; about 3 miles southwest of Ferndale;. 1,200 feet north and 1,200 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 6, T. 38 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54oF. The particle-size control section averages 10 to 18 percent clay. These soils have an irregular distribution of organic matter with depth.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry.
Structure is weak or moderate, granular or subangular blocky. Dry consistence is slightly hard to very hard. Reaction is strongly acid or medium acid.
The Cg1 horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. Dry consistence is slightly hard to very hard. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Reaction is very strongly acid, strongly acid or medium acid.
The Cg2 and Cg3 horizons have hue of 2.5Y, 5Y, or N/, value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 0 through 2 moist and dry. It is fine sandy loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction is very strongly acid, strongly acid, or medium acid.
The Cg4, Cg5, and Cg6 horizons have hue of 2.5Y, 5Y, or N/ in the silt loam and fine sandy loam and 7.5YR or 10YR in the sand, value of 4 or 5 moist, and 5 through 7 dry in the silt loam and fine sandy loam and value of 4 or 5 moist, and 5 or 6 dry in the sand. The chroma is 0 through 2 moist and dry in the silt loam and fine sandy loam, and 6 through 8 moist and dry in the sand. They are stratified silt loam, fine sandy loam, and sand. Reaction is very strongly acid, strongly acid, or medium acid before drying and extremely and very strongly acid or strongly acid after drying.
The Cg7 horizon has hue of 5Y or N/, value of 2 through 4 moist, 3 through 6 dry, and chroma of 0 or 1 moist
and dry. The sand strata also range to hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 moist, and 8 dry. It is stratified
silt loam, fine sandy loam, and sand. Reaction before drying is medium acid, slightly acid, or neutral and
extremely acid or very strongly acid after drying.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Briscot, Mt. Vernon, and Tacoma series in other families. Briscot soils lack sulfidic materials and are neutral throughout. Mt. Vernon soils have a Xeric moisture regime. Tacoma soils are coarse-silty.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Eliza soils are on floodplains, deltas, and tidelands at elevations near sea level to 20 feet. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. These soils formed in recent alluvium. Eliza soils are in a marine climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Snow cover is intermittent. Average annual precipitation is 30 to 40 inches, which falls mostly between October and May. Each of the summer months has at least one inch of rainfall. Mean January temperature is 36 degrees F; mean July temperature is 62 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 150 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Mount Vernon and Tacoma soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff; moderate permeability. In drained areas an apparent water table occurs at 1 to 2.5 feet from November through April. Areas not drained have a water table at or near the surface throughout the year. These soils are subject to frequent brief flooding, unless protected.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are drained and used for cropland and hay and pasture. The common crops are peas, sweet corn, beans, small grains, and corn for silage. Native vegetation was western redcedar, western hemlock, red alder, and black cottonwood with an undergrowth of western brackenfern, western swordfern, devilsclub, willow and Douglas spirea.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Puget lowlands in northwestern Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whatcom County, Washington, 1982.
REMARKS: Partial laboratory data are available: Laboratory number S81WA-073-028.