LOCATION HARO WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, isotic, mesic Lithic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Haro loam - rangeland, on a southwest facing hillside with a slope of 30 percent and elevation of 215 feet. When described on October 15, 2003 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.
A1--0 to 1 inches, black (10YR 2/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky to medium granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 3 percent fine gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear smooth boundary.
A2--1 to 5 inches, black (10YR 2/1) gravelly loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (Combined A horizons are 4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 11 inches, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; common very fine and fine and few coarse and very coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
R--11 inches, metasedimentary bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Washington, about 7 miles northwest of the town of Friday harbor on English Camp portion of San Juan Island National Historical Park; about 900 feet north and 1,200 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 25, T. 36 N., R. 4 W. Willamette Baseline Meridian. USGS Roche Harbor NE quarter quadrangle; Latitude 48 degrees 34 minutes 55 seconds North, Longitude 123 degrees 8 minutes 35 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface.
Mean annual soil temperature - 50 to 54 degrees F.
Soil moisture control section - dry 75 to 90 days following summer solstice
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 20 inches (A and Bw horizons)
Base saturation by ammonium acetate greater than 50 percent from the soil surface to the top of a lithic contact
Base saturation by sum of cations less than 75 percent from the soil surface to the top of a lithic contact
Depth to lithic contact - 10 to 20 inches
Reaction - moderately acid or strongly acid
Volcanic glass - less than 5 percent throughout
Particle size control section:
Clay content - 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent total
A1 horizon
Hue 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist and dry
Clay content - 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent
A2 horizon
Hue 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist and dry
Texture - L or SL
Clay content - 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent
Bw horizon
Hue 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 moist and dry
Texture - SL or L
Clay content - 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family. Series with similar classification but mixed mineralogy include the Dobson, McMullin, Reston, and Whisk soils. Dobson soils are moist less than 90 consecutive days when the soil temperature is greater than 47 degrees F (aridic soil moisture regime). McMullin soils have 20 to 35 percent clay in the Bw horizon and are dry for more than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Reston soils are 5 to 10 inches deep to a lithic contact. Whisk soils have granitic rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Haro soils are on south-facing hillslopes and mountain slopes with slopes of 5 to 75 percent and elevations from 0 to 2,200 feet. These soils formed in glacial drift mixed with colluvium from metasedimentary bedrock. The maritime climate is characterized by warm dry summers and mild moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 18 to 35 inches. Average annual air temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free period is 200 to 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the Cady, Doebay, Hiddenridge, Turtleback (all of which also occur on hill slopes and mountain slopes), Pilepoint, and San Juan soils. Cady soils have an ochric epipedon and generally occur under a denser forest canopy on northerly slopes. Doebay soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches, an ochric epipedon, and generally occur under a denser forest canopy on northerly slopes. Hiddenridge soils have a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches and an umbric epipedon. Turtleback soils have a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches, an ochric epipedon, and generally occur under a denser forest canopy on northerly slopes. Pilepoint soils are on glacial outwash plains, have argillic and densic horizons, and have redoximorphic features at 20 to 40 inches. San Juan soils are on glacial outwash plains and lack a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high to very high.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for home sites, pasture, and wildlife habitat. Potential natural vegetation consists of Oregon white oak, Pacific madrone, Roemers fescue, western brackenfern, trailing blackberry, baldhip rose, oceanspray, and common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwest Washington; MLRA 2, Northern Part. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan County, Washington, 2006. The name is taken from Haro Strait in Puget Sound, San Juan County.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches (A1, A2, and Bw horizons)
Lithic contact - 11 inches (R horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 0 to 11 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: One characterization pedon sampled at the type location, NSSL pedon # 04N0402, NASIS user pedon ID 03WA-055-005. One reference pedon sampled, NSSL pedon # 03N0235.