LOCATION ETACH WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Typic Udivitrands
TYPICAL PEDON: Etach very gravelly sandy loam - on a 50 percent north facing convex slope under a forest canopy. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures).
Oi--4 to 3 inches; needles and twigs. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Oa--3 inches to 0; decomposed needles and twigs. (2 to 4 inches thick)
E--0 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 45 percent rounded pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.)); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
Bs--8 to 16 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and brown (7.5YR 5/4), very gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; few fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 45 percent rounded pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)
2C1--16 to 33 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very cobbly coarse sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; weak coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, few fine roots, 20 percent rounded pebbles, 25 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 22 inches thick)
2C2--33 to 36 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) very cobbly coarse sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/6) dry; many medium prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; single grain; loose; few fine roots; 20 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
2Cd--36 to 60 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) dense glacial till breaking to very cobbly coarse sand; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; massive; very hard, very firm; 20 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Skagit County, Washington; about 4 miles east of Marblemount, Washington; 800 feet north and 750 feet east of the SW corner, sec. l4, T. 35 N., R. ll E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact with dense glacial till is 26 to 40 inches. The upper 7 to l8 inches of these soils is influenced by volcanic ash. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F. Reaction is moderately acid through very strongly acid throughout.
The A2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or l0YR; value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry; and chroma of 2 or 3.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or l0YR; value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry; and chroma of 2 or 3.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or l0YR; value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry; and chroma 3 through 6. Rock fragments range from 40 to 65 percent and are dominated by cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colton, Hermon, Limking, Marblemount, Masardis, Sheepscot, Skykomish, Stetson, Teneriffe, and Waiska series. Colton, Hermon, Limking, Masardis, Sheepscot, Skykomish, Teneriffe, and Waiska soils lack a paralithic contact within the control section. Marblemount soils have a paralithic contact with weathered granitic bedrock at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Etach soils are on glacially modified mountain sides with slopes of 30 to 90 percent. Elevation is 800 to 2,200 feet. These soils formed in glacial till derived from granite with an admixture of volcanic ash in the upper part. The average annual precipitation is 70 to 80 inches. Average January temperature is about 32 degrees F. and average July temperature is about 60 degrees F. Mean annual air temperature is 43 to 44 degrees F. The frost free season is about ll0 to l40 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barneston and Olomount soils. Barneston soils are mesic and lack a paralithic contact within the control section. Olomount soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for woodland. Native vegetation is Douglas- fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar, with an understory of western swordfern, salal, Pacific trillium, tall Oregon-grape, longtube twinflower, red huckleberry and maidenhair fern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Washington. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Skagit County, Washington, 198l.
REMARKS: Classification and Cr horizon changed to Cd 4/94. Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are an albic horizon from the mineral surface to 8 inches, a horizon from 0 to 16 inches with andic soil properties, and a paralithic contact at 36 inches. The 8 to 16 inch horizon fails spodic criteria based on color.