LOCATION GALLUP WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, ferrihydritic over isotic Andic Humicryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Gallup silt loam-on a 65 percent southwest facing convex slope under a coniferous canopy of western hemlock and Pacific silver fir at 3350 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 8 inches; rotten log, slightly decomposed needles, twigs, leaves, and moss.
Oa--8 to 12 inches; decomposed needles, twigs, and leaves, many very fine, medium and common coarse roots.
E--12 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) silt loam, brown (7.5YR
5/2) dry; massive; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; NaF pH (less than 9.0); extremely acid (pH 3.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4
inches thick)
Bhs--15 to 18 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) gravelly silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) organic stains on ped faces, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine, fine and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 15 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; NaF pH10.5; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bs1--18 to 26 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) gravelly loam; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) organic stains on ped faces, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; NaF pH 11.0; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bs2--26 to 39 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) gravelly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; NaF pH 12.0; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
BC--39 to 51 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; few fine and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 30 percent unweathered pebbles and 15 percent weathered pebbles; NaF pH 11.5; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C1--51 to 63 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly loam, brownish yellow (10 YR 6/6) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent unweathered pebbles and 10 percent weathered pebbles; NaF pH 12.0; very strongly acid (pH4.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C2--63 to 72 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; common fine irregular pores; 20 percent unweathered pebbles; NaF pH 12.0; very strongly acid (pH 4.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Whatcom County, Washington, about 3.5 miles east of Kulshan; 2,000 feet north and 2,400 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 33, T. 39 N., R. 6 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 44 degrees F. The thickness of the
solum is 25 to 39 inches. By weighted average the particle-size section is 20 to 35 percent unweathered rock
fragments including 15 to 35 percent pebbles, 0 to 10 percent unweathered cobbles and stones. It also has 5 to
25 percent weathered rock fragments.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 to 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry, chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry.
Some pedons have an A horizon. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bhs and Bs horizons have hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry, and chroma of 3
through 6 moist and dry. Organic stains have hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry and chroma
of 1 or 2 moist and dry. They have 5 to 20 percent unweathered pebbles, 0 to 5 percent unweathered cobbles,
and 5 to 15 percent weathered pebbles. They are loam, silt loam, gravelly loam, gravelly silt loam, or
gravelly sandy loam. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid.
The BC horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, chroma of 3 through 6 moist and dry. It has 20 to 30 percent unweathered pebbles, 0 to 10 percent unweathered cobbles and stones, and 5 to 25 percent weathered rock fragments. It is gravelly loam or gravelly silt loam. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 6 moist and dry. It has 15 to 35 percent unweathered rock fragments and 0 to 15 percent weathered rock fragments. It is gravelly silt loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly sandy loam. Reaction is extremely acid to strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fordsterror, Kulshan, Tokeen, Ulloa, and Vixen series. Fordsterror, Kulshan, and Tokeen soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Ulloa soils are slightly acid to neutral in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Vixen soils have a spodic horizon 7 to 14 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gallup soils are on glacially modified mountain slopes at elevations of 2,600 to 4,500 feet. Slopes are 6 to 80 percent. The soils formed in volcanic ash, loess, unconsolidated glacial till, and colluvium and slope alluvium from sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate, and metasedimentary rocks. Gallup soils are in a cold marine climate with cool, dry summers and cold, wet winters. Snow cover lasts from October through June. Average annual precipitation is 80 to 110 inches. Mean January temperature is about 28 degrees F. and mean July temperature is about 56 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is about 41 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F) is 85 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Kulshan soils and the Deming, Getchell, Hartnit, Kindy, Nimue, Playco, Potchub, Saar, and Shuksan soils. Deming, Nimue, and Playco soils are loamy-skeletal. Getchell, Kindy, Potchub, Saar, and Shuksan soils are moderately deep to dense glacial till. Hartnit and Kulshan soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Shuksan soils have a ratio of free iron to carbon of less than 0.2 in a horizon present in more than half of each pedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, watershed, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, mountain hemlock and some Douglas-fir, with an undergrowth of red huckleberry, blue-leaved huckleberry, bunchberry dogwood, trailing blackberry, deer fern, western brackenfern, and salmonberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northwestern Washington; MLRA 3. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whatcom County, Washington, 1983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
An albic horizon from 12 to 15 inches
A spodic horizon from 15 to 39 inches. The spodic horizon has more than 6 percent organic carbon in the upper 11 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data are available on this soil; lab numbers: 80T7269-7270.