LOCATION EPHRATA WA+ID OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Ephrata sandy loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--6 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 5 percent gravel; many roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bw2--14 to 21 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 15 percent gravel; many roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
C--21 to 28 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent gravel; many roots; common very fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Ckq--28 to 60 inches; multicolored extremely gravelly sand; loose, single grained; 60 percent gravel; 10 percent cobbles; lime and silica coatings on underside of pebbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Washington; 900 feet east and 100 feet north of south 1/4 corner, sec. 8, T. 15 N., R. 29 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. Ephrata soils are usually dry in all parts between depths of 8 and 24 inches. Solum thickness ranges from 16 to 30 inches and depth to the 2Ckq is 20 to 40 inches. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages 5 to 35 percent coarse fragments and less than 50 percent fine or coarser sand in the upper part and 50 to 85 percent coarse fragments in the lower part. The solum is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It has weak platy or granular structure.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is fine sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, or gravelly sandy loam. It has weak subangular blocky or weak prismatic structure.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 1 or 3 dry or moist, or color may be dominated by black basalt sand.
The 2C horizon is very cobbly, very gravelly or extremely gravelly sand or coarse sand.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ephrata soils are on glacial outwash plains and terraces at elevations of 500 to 1,400 feet. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The soils formed in glacial outwash mixed with loess in the upper part. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. Mean January temperature is 27 degrees F. Mean July temperature is about 75 degrees F. Mean annual temperature is 49 to 53 degrees F. Frost-free season is 140 to 210 days in Washington and Oregon. Frost-fee season is 120 to 140 days and elevation is 2,600 to 3,200 feet in Idaho.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burbank and Malaga soils and the competing Prosser and Scooteney soils. Burbank and Malaga soils are sandy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated cropland and range. Common crops are wheat, potatoes, alfalfa, corn, beans, and peas. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Thurber needlegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington, northeastern Oregon, and southern Idaho. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grant County (Quincy Area), Washington, 1911.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 6 inches, a cambic horizon from 6 to 21 inches, and an abrupt textural change to sandy-skeletal material at 21 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: S61Wash 13-9-(1-5) Riverside Lab. Nos 61314-61318, S61Wash 13- 10-(1-6) Riverside Lab. Nos 61319-61324, and S61Wash 13-16-(1-6) Riverside Lab. Nos 61325-61330.