LOCATION GEE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Gee silt loam - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate coarse and medium granular structure; hard, friable, slightly plastic, slightly sticky; many coarse, medium and fine pores; many roots; common coarse and medium very dark brown concretions; strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
E--9 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; common fine distinct mottles of yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very coarse prismatic structure; very hard, friable, slightly plastic, slightly sticky; many roots; many coarse, medium and fine pores; common coarse and medium very dark brown concretions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
E/B--14 to 22 inches; the E portion of the horizon is faintly
mottled dark grayish brown and dark brown (10YR 4/2 and 4/3) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry. The Bt portion of the horizon, mottled dark brown (10YR 3/3) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) silt loam, (10YR 4/3) and (10YR 4/4) dry; weak very coarse prismatic structure; very hard, friable, plastic, slightly sticky; few fine roots; many coarse, medium and fine pores; moderate thick patchy clay films on surfaces of peds; common coarse and medium very dark brown and black concretions; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
B/E1--22 to 54 inches; the Bt portion of the horizon is dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; common medium and fine distinct mottles, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) dry; strong very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse and medium blocky; extremely hard, firm, plastic, sticky; few fine and very fine pores; no roots penetrate interiors of prisms; medium continuous clay films on all surfaces and in pores; common coarse, medium and fine very dark brown and black concretions. The E tongues, which are 1/8 to 1 inch thick around prisms, are light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2); hard, friable, plastic, slightly sticky; many medium and fine tubular pores; very few medium and black and very dark brown concretions; few fine roots penetrate this horizon, following the gray tongues; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary. (28 to 36 inches thick)
B/E2--54 to 72 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, (Bt part) brown (10YR 5/3) dry; common fine distinct mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; strong coarse and medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very plastic, very sticky; many coarse, medium and fine pores; few very fine roots follow gray tongues but do not penetrate the peds; surfaces of the peds and pores have thick continuous dark brown (10YR 5/2) clay films; black stains on peds; around the prisms are 1/8 to 3/4 inch tongues of light gray (10YR 7/1), (E part) grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; strongly acid. Similar horizon sequences continue to more than 10 feet.
TYPE LOCATION: Clark County, Washington; in southeast corner of clay pit; 1,100 feet west and 250 feet south of the east quarter corner of section 17, T. 4 N., R. 1 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature at depth of 20 inches ranges from 47 degrees to 53 degrees F. The solum is more than 60 inches thick. Content of coarse fragments ranges from none to 5 percent in the particle-size control section.
The A or Ap horizon ranges from very dark grayish brown to very dark brown.
The E horizon ranges from dark grayish brown to dark brown, is continuous above the A&B horizon, and tongues deeply into the B/E horizon.
The Bt portion of the E/B and B/E horizons is dark yellowish brown, dark brown, brown or yellowish brown and is dominantly silty clay loam with 18 to 35 percent clay and has less than 15 percent particles coarser than very fine sand. The solum is moderately acid or strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Powell and Sara series in other families. Powell soils have a fragipan. Sara soils are in a fine family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are at elevations of 150 to 300 feet on rolling and hilly terraces. They formed in mixed alluvium with some volcanic ash in the upper part. Gee soils occur in a humid marine climate with relatively cool, dry summers and mild, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is about 45 inches; average January temperature is 37 degrees F., average July temperature is 64 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is 51 degrees F. The growing season is about 185 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Odne soils and the competing Sara soils. Odne soils are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability in the A horizon and upper B horizon, and moderately slow grading to very slow in the lower B horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for woodland and cropland. Hay, pasture, and small grain are common crops. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, grand fir, western redcedar, and red alder with an understory of western swordfern, salal, Oregongrape, vine maple, and western brackenfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clark County, Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 9 inches, an albic horizon from 9 to 14 inches, and an argillic horizon with tongues of albic material from 14 to 72 inches. The moisture regime of these soils is xeric. Soil Taxonomy has no provision for Glossxeralfs. These soils should be considered as Aquic Palexeralfs.