LOCATION GOVEY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, mesic Typic Durudands
TYPICAL PEDON: Govey very gravelly medial sandy loam - forestland, on a 35 percent southwest-facing slope at an elevation of 1,600 feet in a western hemlock/salal-western swordfern plant association. (When described on June 27, 1990 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 3 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs and cones; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A--3 to 10 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) very gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 19 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) very gravelly medial sandy loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--19 to 31 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) very gravelly medial sandy loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and few fine pores; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 15 to 31 inches)
2Bsm--31 to 37 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3), light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; strongly cemented; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2Cd--37 to 63 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) very gravelly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6). (several feet thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Mason County, Washington; about 4 miles south-southwest of Jefferson Lake, about 130 feet west and 1,055 feet south of the northeast corner of section 8, T. 23 N., R. 4 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 30 minutes, 08 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 12 minutes, 37 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually moist in the soil moisture control section and are dry 30 to 45 consecutive days during summer; udic moisture regime. Depth to cemented layer is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the contact with the cemented layer has andic soil properties with an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 4 percent, phosphate retention is 85 to 100 percent, 15-bar water retention of 15 to 30 percent for air dried samples, and 40 to 70 percent rock fragments by volume. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR and chroma of 4 or 6 moist or dry. It has 2 to 4 cmol/kg of aluminum. It has 5 to 10 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist. It is very gravelly medial sandy loam, very cobbly medial sandy loam, or extremely gravelly medial sandy loam. It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. It has 1 to 5 percent organic matter.
The 2Bsm horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry.
The 2Cd horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 4 dry. It is very gravelly loamy sand, very cobbly loamy sand, or extremely gravelly loamy sand. Reaction is moderately or strongly acid. It has moist bulk density of 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Fircreek series. Fircreek soils have 2 to 4 cmol/kg of aluminum in the subsoil (alic).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Govey soils are on glacial valleys and glaciated mountain slopes. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. The soil formed in colluvium over dense glacial till. Elevations are 500 to 1,900 feet. Average annual precipitation ranges from 70 to 150 inches. Average annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. Frost-free season in 170 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dosewallips, Lenacreek, and Valletta soils. Dosewallips soils are on mountain slopes and are shallow to bedrock. Lenacreek soils are on mountain slopes and are moderately deep to bedrock. Valletta soils are on mountain slopes and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately rapid permeability above the cemented layer and very slow permeability below. The subsoil is saturated for 20 or more consecutive and over 30 cumulative days from November through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, salal, red huckleberry, Oregon-grape, and western swordfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Olympic Mountain, 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 10 to 31 inches, andic soil properties from the mineral soil surface to 31 inches, and a cemented layer from 31 to 37 inches. The particle-size control section is from 3 to 31 inches. The series meets the saturation requirements for oxyaquic subgroup.
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.