LOCATION FARRELL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Farrell very fine sandy loam - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
A2--4 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--8 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 21 inches thick)
Bk1--16 to 24 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Bk2--24 to 33 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) coarse sandy loam; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
Bk3--33 to 44 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
Bk4--44 to 54 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) coarse sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few roots; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); violently effervescent; abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
2C--54 to 60 inches; dark gray to light gray (10YR 4/1 to 7/2) coarse basalt sand with grains mainly black but ranging to pale brown (10YR 2/1 to 6/3) moist; single grained; loose; strongly effervescent.
TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Washington; about 5 miles south of Ralston, 900 feet south and 900 feet west of north quarter corner of section 5, T. 16 N., R. 36 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. These soils are dry between depths of 8 and 24 inches more than half of the time when the soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is above 41 degrees F (about 105 to 120 days). The mollic epipedon is 7 to 20 inches thick. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 14 to 41 inches. The particle-size control section is 0 to 10 percent rock fragments. Depth to the 2C horizon is 40 to more than 60 inches.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It has 0 to 5 percent pebbles. It is very bouldery in some pedons. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. It is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. It has 0 to 5 percent gravel. This horizon has subangular blocky or weak prismatic structure. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5, 6 or 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. It is loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, or silt loam. It is stratified in some pedons. It is 0 to 10 percent rock fragments with 0 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The 2C horizon has value of 4 through 7 dry, 2 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist. It is sand, medium sand or coarse sand. It is 0 to 5 percent gravel. Reaction is slightly alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Blickenstaff, Blue Star, Courtrock, Malott, Tickason, and Tonasket series. Blickenstaff soils have 15 to 25 percent rock fragments in parts of the control section. Blue Star and Courtrock soils lack a cambic B horizon and have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in parts of the control section. Malott soils have dense glacial till in the lower part and more than 10 percent rock fragments in some part of the particle-size control section. Tickason soils have a calcic horizon. Tonasket soils are dominantly silt loam throughout the control section and have laminations in the 2C horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Farrell soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments. Elevations range from 600 to 1,700 feet. The soils formed in glaciofluvial material consisting of basaltic and granitic materials, with a component of loess and volcanic ash. The climate is semiarid having warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 14 inches. Average January temperature is 30 degrees F, average July temperature is 72 degrees F, average annual temperature is 49 to 53 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 135 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aeneas, Cashmere, Cashmont, Magallon, Peshastin, Pogue, Quincy, Ritzcal, Ritzville, Soaplake, Stratford, and Starbuck soils and the competing Malott soils. Aeneas, Pogue, and Stratford soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Cashmere, Cashmont, and Magallon soils lack an accumulation of secondary carbonates. In addition, Magallon soils are sandy. Peshastin soils are loamy-skeletal. Quincy soils are sandy and have an ochric epipedon. Ritzcal and Ritzville soils are coarse-silty. Soaplake and Starbuck soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 10 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for production of small grains in a crop fallow system, irrigated orchards, irrigated cropland, irrigated hay and pasture, and for range. Native vegetation is primarily bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, common yarrow, big sagebrush, three-tip sagebrush, and silky lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Washington. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Walla Walla County, Washington, 1961.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 8 inches, a cambic horizon from 8 to 16 inches, and a zone of carbonate accumulation from 16 to 54 inches.