LOCATION FRICABA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, frigid Typic Hapludands
TYPICAL PEDON: Fricaba extremely gravelly medial sandy loam- forestland, on an 80 percent southwest-facing slope at an elevation of 2,400 feet in a western hemlock/salal-common beargrass plant association. (When described on February 23, 1991 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and common fine irregular pores; 55 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 15 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--15 to 24 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 17 to 33 inches)
R--24 inches; marine basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Mason County Washington; about 3 miles north of the Brown Creek Campground, about 265 feet west and 1,320 feet south of the northeast corner of section 28, T. 23 N., R. 5 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 27 minutes, 27 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 18 minutes, 51 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are never dry or dry in the soil moisture control section for 0 to 45 consecutive days after the summer solstice; perudic and udic soil moisture regime. Depth to bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the bedrock contact has andic soil properties with an estimated moist bulk density of 0.60 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 3 percent, phosphate retention is 85 to 100 percent, 15-bar water retention of 15 to 30 percent for air dried samples, and 60 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It has 5 to 15 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist and 6 or 8 dry. It is extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, extremely gravelly medial loam, or extremely cobbly medial sandy loam. The reaction is strongly or very strongly acid. It has 1 to 7 percent organic matter.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Duckabush, Gunderson, Lotloh, Maidenpeak, Ruggedridge and Halfoss series. Duckabush and Maidenpeak soils are over 40 inches deep to basalt. Gunderson soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to densic material. Lotloh soils are over 40 inches deep to sedimentary bedrock. Ruggedridge soils are over sedimentary bedrock and have 40 to 60 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Halfoss soils are dry for 30 to 45 consecutive days as are the Maidenpeak soils.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fricaba soils occur on south-facing mountain slopes and on glaciated mountain slopes. Slopes are 30 to 100 percent. The soils formed in colluvium from marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 1,750 to 2,900 feet. Average annual precipitation is 70 to 220 inches. Average annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost free-season is 140 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Duckabush, Hammahamma, Hoodcanal, McGravey, Sawpeak, Waketickeh, and Walkinshaw soils. Duckabush soils are on mountain slopes and are deep and very deep. Hammahamma and Hoodcanal soils are on glaciated mountain slopes and glacial valleys and are moderately deep to a cemented layer. McGravey and Sawpeak soils have over 2 cmol/kg of aluminum (Alic). Waketickeh and Walkinshaw soils are on mountain slopes and are very shallow and shallow to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, red huckleberry, salal, common beargrass, Oregon-grape, western swordfern, Pacific rhododendron and Alaska huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Grays Harbor, Mason, and Jefferson Counties, Washington; MLRA 1. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mason County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon, a cambic horizon from 7 to 24 inches and andic soil properties from the mineral soil surface to 24 inches. The particle-size control section is from 2 to 24 inches (A and Bw horizons).
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.