LOCATION FERTEG WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, amorphic over isotic, mesic Aquic Hapludands
TYPICAL PEDON: Ferteg silt loam - under a second growth coniferous forest on a 9 percent undulating slope facing northwest at an elevation of l,640 feet. (The soil was moist when described. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
0--3 inches to 0; loose, partially decomposed organic litter and decomposed organic material, charcoal, and fine roots; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A--0 to 5 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; 10 percent shot-like aggregates (1 to 4 mm in diameter); strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--5 to 12 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; 5 percent shot-like aggregates (1 to 4 mm in diameter); moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bw2--12 to 28 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; a few noticeable sand grains; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)
Bw3--28 to 35 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; common fine faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and common fine faint gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
2BC--35 to 47 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; many fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) and many large distinct gray (10YR 6/1) mottles; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and coarse roots; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)
2C--47 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; many fine prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) mottles; massive; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few medium and coarse roots; strongly acid (pH 5.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Lewis County, Washington; along Weyerhaeuser logging road No. 550; 2,280 feet south and 900 feet east of northwest corner, sec. 16, T. 11 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 47 to 51 F. Depth to glaciofluvial deposits ranges from 25 to 36 inches. Soil reaction is moderately acid or strongly acid throughout.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry.
The Bw horizon has value of 4 to 6 moist; 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 3 to 6 moist and dry. Mottles with chroma of 6 or less range from none to many distinct in the lower part of the Bw horizon.
The 2BC horizon has value of 4 to 6 moist, 6 to 8 dry, and chroma of 3 to 6 moist and dry. It has faint to prominent mottles with chroma of 1 to 6 moist. This horizon is silt loam or silty clay loam and has thin laminae of fine sand and gravelly sand in some pedons. Some pedons lack a 2BC horizon and have a 2Bw horizon with similar colors and texture and moderate structure.
The 2C horizon has value of 5 to 7 moist, 7 or 8 dry, and chroma of 1 through 4 moist and dry. It has fine or medium mottles with hue of 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR, and chroma of 4 to 6 moist. It is silty clay loam or silty clay, and contains 27 to 45 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cinebar and Lagitos soils in other families. Cinebar soils lack mottles with a chroma of 2 or less within a depth of 40 inches. Lagitos soils are medial throughout the particle-size control section and have dense glacial till at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ferteg soils are on valley side slopes, benches, and terraces at elevations of 700 to 1,700 feet. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in alluvial ash deposits over glaciofluvial sediments. They are in areas where tributary drainages project into the valley of the Cowlitz River. These obstructions created areas of stagnation in the glacial meltwater stream where the finer sediments settled. The climate is characterized by cool, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Mean annual precipitation is 55 to 70 inches. Mean annual temperature is 48 to 51 F. Growing season (28 F) is 160 to 240 days. The frost-free period is 160 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Cinebar soils and the Domell, Hoffstadt, and Zynbar soils. All these soils are well drained and lack mottles in the control section. Domell, Hoffstadt, and Zynbar soils have a frigid temperature regime. Also, Domell soils are loam and sandy loam throughout. Hoffstadt soils are medial-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained, slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability in the particle-size control section, slow in the substratum. A perched water table is as high as 2.5 to 3.5 feet during winter and early spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, watershed, and wildlife habitat. Overstory vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, and red alder. Understory and ground vegetation is vine maple, conifer seedlings, red huckleberry, devil's club, western swordfern, holly fern, deer fern, salmonberry, and Oregon-grape.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Uplands of southern Lewis County, Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lewis County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
a. ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 5 inches; a cambic horizon from 5 to 47 inches; and a particle-size control section that has andic soil properties to a depth of 35 inches and is loamy from 35 to 40 inches. This description reflects a change in classification based on amendment 16. The particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of less than 0.90 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of more than 1 percent.