LOCATION ESMERALDA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, amorphic Typic Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Esmeralda bouldery ashy sandy loam - under coniferous forest on a 50 percent convex south-facing slope at an elevation of 5,200 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures. When described the soil was moist)
0i & 0e--1 inch to 0; needles, twigs and partially decomposed litter; medium acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 2 inches thick)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) bouldery AHY sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard; friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few coarse, common fine and medium roots, few very fine irregular pores; 25 percent angular pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent surface boulders; NaF pH 9.8 moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bs--2 to 9 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very cobbly ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; common fine and medium roots few very fine irregular pores; 15 percent angular pebbles 20 percent cobbles; NaF pH 11.0 moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Bw1--9 to 27 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very cobbly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; common fine and medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 20 percent angular pebbles, 35 percent cobbles; NaF pH 10.6 moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (16 to 20 inches)
Bw2--27 to 43 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), extremely cobbly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; weakly smeary; few fine roots; 30 percent angular pebbles, 40 percent cobbles; NaF pH 10.1 moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2C--43 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; structureless; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; 35 percent angular pebbles, 35 percent cobbles; NaF pH 9.4 moderately acid (pH 5.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington approximately 6 miles northeast of Salmon 1a Sac.; 1,500 feet west; 300 feet south of northeast corner sec. 25, T. 23 N., R. 14 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 40 to 42 degrees F. The soils are usually moist, but are dry in the moisture control section for 30 to 45 consecutive days during summer and fall. The 0 to 40 inches particle-size control section has an estimate moist bulk density of 0.85 to 1.0 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of more than 2.0 percent, 15-bar water retention of 10 to 12 percent for air dried samples and 40 to 70 percent angular rock fragments. Rock fragments are angular very dark gray (10YR 3/1) and gray (10YR 5/1) fresh face. The weathering rhine is yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and less than 50 percent of the fragments can be broken in hand. The spodic horizon is 6 to 11 inches thick. Some pedons have a thin E horizon. Reaction is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The A horizon has value ot 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is bouldery ashy sandy loam or very gravelly ashy loam.
The Bs horizon has a hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 4 to 6 dry or moist. It is cobbly ashy sandy loam, very cobbly ashy sandy loam, cobbly ashy loam, or very gravelly ashy loam..
The Bw horizon has a value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 to 6 moist or dry. It is very cobbly ashy sandy loam, extremely cobbly ashy sandy loam, very cobbly ashy loam, very gravelly ashy loam, or extremely gravelly ashy loam.
The C horizon has a value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 6 moist or dry. It is extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam, extremely cobbly loam or very cobbly loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Currier (T), Domerie (T), Douthit, Howson (T), Jimek (T), Lemah, and Nomlas (T). Currier soils are dominated by rock fragments of gneiss and granite origin. Domerie soils are deep to a lithic contact and are dominated by channer sized rock fragments. Douthit soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to a substratum of glacial till. Howson and Jimek soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Lemah soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 44 to 46 degrees F. and are dominated by rock fragments of Swauk sandstone. Nomlas soils do not have a spodic horizon and are dominated by rock fragments of basalt and andesite origin.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Esmeralda soils are on long southerly exposed convex mountain sides and have slope of 35 to 75 percent. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from Gabbro, Diabase, and serpentized Teanaway basalt with an admixture of volcanic ash. Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 6,300 feet. These soils are in a climate with cool, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 50 to 80 inches. Mean January temperature is about 22 degrees F. and the mean July temperature is about 56 degrees F. The mean annual air temperature is 38 to 40 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 80 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Waptus soils which are a spodosol which are on glaciated mountain slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff. moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, western white pine, mountain hemlock, and Engelmann spruce, with an understory of pachystima, ceanothus, huckleberry, rusty menziesia, and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northwestern Kittitas and southern Chelan Counties. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 2 inches, a spodic horizon from 2 to 9 inches (with out an albic horizon or 7.5YR colors), a cambic horizon from 9 to 43 inches. The particle-size control section is the zone from 0 to 40 inches and has andic soil properties.