LOCATION HUNTCREEK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Oxyaquic Haplocryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Huntcreek sandy loam-forestland, on a 38 percent westerly slope at an elevation of 1750 feet in a Pacific silver fir/Alaska huckleberry-twinflower plant association. (When described on July 10, 1996, 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, and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Oe--3 to 7 inches; moderately decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
E--7 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bh--9 to 12 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; extremely acid (pH 4.4); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Bs--12 to 17 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly sandy loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bhs--17 to 23 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly sandy loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry and dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) organic coatings on ped faces; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--23 to 31 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) very gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 21 inches thick)
Cd1--31 to 44 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) extremely gravelly loamy sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; massive; slightly hard, brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.
Cd2--44 to 55 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; massive; slightly hard to hard, brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 50 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
Cd3--55 to 67 inches; dark olive brown (2.5Y 3/3) extremely gravelly sand, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 4 miles east-southeast of Hunger Mountain, about 1450 feet west and 440 feet north of the southeast corner of Section 32, T. 29 N., R. 10 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 57 minutes, 36 seconds N., Longitude 124 degrees, 00 minutes, 44 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature is 43 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry 0 to 30 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section; udic moisture regime. Depth to dense alpine till is 20 to 40 inches. The solum has 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 1 to 2 percent, phosphate retention of 40 to 95 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 20 to 30 percent for air dried samples and 2 to 15 percent clay. Some pedons lack a folistic epipedon.
The E horizon has a value of 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 1 or 2 dry. It has 1 to 3 percent organic matter. It has 5 to 15 meq/100g of extractable aluminum.
The Bh horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 moist. It is gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter. It has 5 to 15 meq/100g of extractable aluminum.
The Bs and Bhs horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 through 7 dry and chroma of 4 or 6 dry, and 6 moist. It is very gravelly sandy loam or extremely cobbly sandy loam. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter. It has 2 to 5 meq/100g of extractable aluminum.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 dry. It is very gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly sandy loam. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter. It has 2 to 5 meq/100g of extractable aluminum.
The Cd horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 through 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is extremely gravelly loamy sand, extremely gravelly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly sand. Moist bulk density is 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Huntcreek soils are on glacial valleys. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. The soils are formed in residuum and colluvium over dense alpine glacial till derived from metasedimentary rock. Elevations are 1400 to 2300 feet. Average annual precipitation is 95 to 120 inches. Average annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. Frost-free season is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blackjack, Constance, Kahkwa, Lonemountain, and Sorethumb soils. Blackjack soils are on moderate relief mountain slopes, mountain slopes, and dissected mountain slopes and are deep to bedrock. Constance and Sorethumb soils are on mountain slopes, dissected mountain slopes, and convergent headwalls. Constance soils are shallow to bedrock. Sorethumb soils are moderately deep to bedrock. Kahkwa soils are on fans on glacial valleys and are very deep. Lonemountain soils are on dissected mountain slopes and are moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately rapid permeability to the dense till, and slow permeability below. The water table is perched above the dense till from November through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Pacific silver fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, Alaska huckleberry, deer fern, northern twinflower, false lily-of-the-valley, salal, five leaf bramble, trillium, queencup beadlily, and bunchberry dogwood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Clallam County, Washington; MLRA 3. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Folistic epipedon - 0 to 7 inches
Albic horizon - 7 to 9 inches (E horizon)
Spodic horizon - 12 to 23 inches (Bs and Bhs horizons)
Cambic horizon - 23 to 31 inches (Bw horizon)
Dense layer - 31 to 67 inches (2Cd1, 2Cd2, and 2Cd3 layers)
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.