LOCATION ELKLAKE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, isofrigid Pachic Fulvudands
TYPICAL PEDON: Elklake extremely gravelly medial silt loam - forestland on a 73 percent northwesterly aspect at an elevation of 980 feet in a Pacific silver fir/salal-oxalis plant association. (When described on June 19, 1998, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 0.5 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and cone fragments; abrupt smooth boundary. (0.5 to 1.5 inches thick)
Oa--0.5 to 1 inch; highly decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
A--1 to 4 inches; black (10YR 2/1) extremely gravelly medial silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and common fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 70 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 9 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure, slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and common fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 65 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--9 to 18 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) very gravelly medial silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--18 to 24 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) very gravelly medial silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 50 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 18 to 35 inches.)
R--24 inches; hard marine basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington, about 3 miles northwest of the Humptulips Guard Station, about 950 feet east and 2,585 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 28, T. 22 N., R. 9 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 21 minutes, 56 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 50 minutes, 06 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. and the mean winter soil temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The difference between mean winter and mean summer soil temperature is 5 to 9 degrees F. These soils are usually moist and have a surplus of available water on a monthly basis throughout the year; perudic moisture regime. Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. The solum andic soil properties with 35 to 85 percent rock fragments by volume. The andic soil material has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.30 to 0.70 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 6 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 30 to 60 percent for air dried samples. Acid oxalate iron is 1.5 to 3.5 percent. It has 2 to 8 cmol/kg of aluminum. The particle-size control section has 5 to 18 percent field estimated clay and 20 to 40 percent sand.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and 2 or 3 dry. It has 20 to 40 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 3, 4, or 6 dry. It is very gravelly medial silt loam, extremely gravelly medial silt loam, or extremely gravelly medial loam. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid. It has 10 to 35 percent organic matter.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fawceter, Flatbottom, Killam, Larsencreek, McKinnon, Urboden and Zenobia series. Flatbottom soils have a udic soil moisture regime. Larsencreek and McKinnon soils are deep and very deep. Fawceter soils are deep. Urboden sils are very deep. Zenobia soils have an umbric epipedon 20 to 40 inches thick. Killam soils are dry for 0 to 30 consecutive days and have an umbric epipedon 20 to 40 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elklake soils are on mountain slopes, dissected mountain slopes, and mountain headwalls. Slopes are 60 to 100 percent. The soils formed in colluvium from marine basalt. Elevations are 800 to 2900 feet. Average annual precipitation is 140 to 180 inches. Fog drip contributes to the effective precipitation totals. Average annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eatoncreek, Flatbottom, Larsencreek, Lizardlake, and McKinnon soils. Eatoncreek and Lizardlake soils are on dissected mountain slopes and mountain headwalls and are shallow. Flatbottom soils are on mountain slopes, dissected mountains slopes, and mountain headwalls and have a udic soil moisture regime. Larsencreek and McKinnon soils are on mountain slopes and dissected mountain slopes and are both deep and very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, western redcedar, vine maple, Oregon oxalis, western swordfern, Alaska huckleberry, red huckleberry, deer fern, threeleaf foamflower, and salal.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Grays Harbor County, Washington; MLRA 1. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Umbric epipedon - 1 to 18 inches
Cambic horizon - 18 to 24 inches
Andic soil properties - 1 to 24 inches (A and Bw1 through Bw3 horizons)
Lithic contact - 24 inches
PSCS - 1 to 24 inches
This soil has a perudic moisture regime.
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Pedon NSSL S98WA-027-005.