LOCATION GORSKEL WA
Established Series
Rev. TER/RJE/KWH
09/2019
GORSKEL SERIES
Landscape--valleys
Landform--terraces and alluvial fans
Slope--0 to 60 percent
Parent material--loess and old alluvium over a duripan
Mean annual precipitation--about 280 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 10 degrees C
Depth class--shallow
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--aridic
Soil temperature regime--mesic
Soil moisture subclass--xeric
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Argiduridic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gorskel very cobbly loam in an area of rangeland (All textures are apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 13 cm; very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine vesicular pores; 5 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, and 20 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary
Bt1--13 to 20 cm; gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 25 percent gravel; few faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary
Bt2--20 to 33 cm; very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; 40 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary
2Bkqm--33 cm; indurated, silica-cemented duripan
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington, about 4 km northeast of Naches; about 60 m east and 700 m north of the southwest corner of section 26, T. 15 N., R. 17 E.; Ellensburg U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangle; latitude 46.759306, longitude -120.678019, datum WGS 84 (coordinates estimated from section, township, and range)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature at duripan--8 to 11 degrees C
Soil moisture--dry in all parts between depths of 10 and 30 cm or to the top of the duripan more than one-half the time when the soil temperature is higher 5 degrees C
Depth to duripan--25 to 50 cm
Particle-size control section--20 to 35 percent clay; 35 to 80 percent rock fragments
A Btk horizon is in some pedons.
A horizon
Value--4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture of fine-earth fraction--loam, silt loam
Rock fragment content--15 to 60 percent
Thickness--10 to 15 cm
Bt1 horizon
Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma--3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture of fine-earth fraction--loam, silt loam
Rock fragment content--15 to 70 percent
Thickness--5 to 10 cm
Bt2 horizon
Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
Value--4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma--3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture of fine-earth fraction--loam, silt loam, clay loam, silty clay loam
Rock fragment content--35 to 80 percent
Reaction--7.4 to 8.4
Thickness--8 to 18 cm
COMPETING SERIES:
Ayres--structureless in lower part of argillic horizon
Drewing--calcic horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--340 to 910 m
Climate--warm, dry summers; cool, moist winters
Mean annual precipitation--250 to 330 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 10 degrees C
Frost-free season--about 120 to 170 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Cowiche--more than 100 cm (deep) to a paralithic contact (sandstone, schist)
Harwood--50 to 100 cm (moderately deep) to a duripan
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--moderately high above duripan, very slow in duripan
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--domestic livestock grazing, wildlife habitat
Native vegetation--Sandberg bluegrass, stiff sagebrush, eriogonum, phlox
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Washington; MLRAs 6, 7, and 8; small extent
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yakima County, Washington; 1979
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon
*Mollic epipedon--zone from the surface to a depth of 20 cm
*Argillic horizon--zone from 13 to 33 cm
*Depth to indurated duripan--33 cm
*Particle-size control section--zone from the surface to the duripan
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.