LOCATION HARDMAUK WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hardmauk ashy loam - forested, on a 27 percent south-facing slope at an elevation of 2,040 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi & Oe--0 to 1 inches; slightly decomposed and intermediately decomposed needles and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A--1 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine, medium very coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; NaF pH 8.0; slightly acid (pH 6.2) abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
BA--5 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; NaF pH 8.0; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
E1--11 to 20 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and coarse and few fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; NaF pH 7.8; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
E2--20 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common coarse and few fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; NaF pH 7.8; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt irregular boundary. (combined thickness of E horizon is 3 to 21 inches)
Bt/E1--29 to 35 inches; about 80 percent (Bt part) pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on vertical faces of peds and in pores; few faint skeletans on faces of peds; about 20 percent (E part) pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very coarse and few fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; common tongues of light gray (10YR 7/2) 10 to 25 mm wide on vertical faces of prisms; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; NaF 7.8; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bt/E2--35 to 38 inches; about 60 percent (Bt part) pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; common prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on vertical faces of peds and in pores; few faint skeletans on faces of peds; about 40 percent (E part) pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very coarse and few fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; common tongues of light gray (10YR 7/2) 10 to 25 mm wide on vertical faces of prisms; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; NaF pH 7.8; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bt/Eb horizon is 7 to 15 inches)
2Btb--38 to 50 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) dense gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few coarse roots in seams; few very fine tubular pores; many prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films in horizontal and vertical seams; few faint iron-manganese stains in seams; few tongues of light gray (10YR 7/2) 5 to 20 mm wide in vertical seams; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; NaF 7.8; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches)
2Cdt--50 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dense glacial till that breaks to very gravelly sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films in seams; common distinct iron-manganese stains in seams; 30 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; NaF pH 7.8; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 2 1/2 miles east of Cle Elum; about 2,300 feet east and 2,100 feet north of the southwest corner of section 28, T. 20 N., R. 16 E.; USGS Teanaway, Wash. topographic quadrangle; Latitude 47 degrees, 11 minutes, 43 seconds N. and Longitude 120 degrees, 50 minutes, 47 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 45 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to perched water table and aquic conditions ranges from 20 to 30 inches. Base saturation throughout the upper 30 inches is 55 to 75 percent. The particle-size control section has 18 to 35 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. It has 5 to 35 percent rock fragments by volume. Depth to the 2Btb horizon ranges from 25 to 40 inches. Depth to the 2Cdt horizon is 45 to 60 inches.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. It has 5 to 10 percent volcanic glass and 0.2 to 0.3 percent acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron. Reaction is moderately acid through neutral.
The BA or AB horizon has chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. Texture is loam, gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The E part of Bt/E horizons have value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is loam, gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bt part of Bt/E horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. Texture is gravelly clay loam or gravelly sandy clay loam. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The 2Btb horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist and chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. The upper part is gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay or very gravelly sandy clay loam. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The 2Cdt horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is dense glacial till that breaks into very gravelly sandy clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay, or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The Brailsford series have a similar aquic subgroup classification. Brailsford soils lack albic and glossic horizons and do not have densic materials at 40 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hardmauk soils are on foothills and have slopes of 0 to 50 percent. They formed in loess over glacial till (Kittitas Drift) with a minor amount of volcanic ash in the surface. Elevation is 1,800 to 2,500 feet. These soils are in a climate with warm moderately dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches. The average January temperature is about 24 degrees F. and the average July temperature is about 64 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F. is about 145 to 175 days and the frost-free season is about 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Teanaway soil. Teanaway soils are 40 to 60 inches to the 2Btb horizon, do not have a 2Cd horizon, and are on terraces, terrace escarpments, and foothills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained, slow to very rapid runoff; slow permeability. This soil has a perched water table with its uppermost limit occurring some time between January to March.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife, recreation and watershed. The native vegetation is ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir. Understory species include pinegrass, elk sedge, common snowberry, oregongrape, creambush oceanspray and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kittitas County, Washington; MLRA 6. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1999. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - 1 to 5 inches (A horizon)
Albic horizon - 11 to 29 inches (E horizon)
Argillic horizon - 29 to 50 inches (Bt part of the Bt/E horizons and the 2Btb horizon)
Glossic horizon - 29 to 38 inches (Bt/E horizon)
PSCS - the zone from 29 to 49 inches
Ultic feature Base saturation throughout the upper 30 inches of the argillic horizon is 55 to 75 percent.
Aquic feature the zone beginning at 29 inches having chroma of 2 and aquic conditions at some time.
This soil is recognized on the Lakedale geomorphic surface in Kittitas County, WA.