LOCATION HUNTERS                 WA

Established Series
Rev. NCD/BDG/RJS
04/2017

HUNTERS SERIES


The Hunters series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in mixed volcanic ash over calcareous glaciolacustrine sediments. The Hunters soils are on terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 65 percent. The mean annual air temperature is about (7.8 degrees C), and the mean annual precipitation is about 425 mm.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Hunters ashy silt loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 20 cm thick)

A--15 to 30 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

Bw--30 to 51 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 35 cm thick)

Bk1--51 to 84 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine pores; calcium carbonate segregations in pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)

Bk2--84 to 102 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine pores; calcium carbonate segregations in pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 30 cm thick)

C1--102 to 122 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)

C2--122 to 152 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silty clay, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: Ferry County, Washington; 925 meters west and 780 meters north of southeast corner, section 12. T.39N., R.33E. (Latitude 48 degrees, 53 minutes, 32.53 seconds north, Longitude 118 degrees, 35 minutes, 0.82 seconds west. NAD 83. USGS Curlew Quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 75 to 90 days following summer solstice; xeric soil moisture regime

Soil temperature: mean annual soil temperature is 8.0 to 10.0 degrees C.

Vitrandic soil properties: upper 35 to 85 cm of the solum has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.15 to 1.35 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples

Clay content: 18 to 30 percent clay and less than 15 percent coarser than very fine sand in the particle-size control section

Depth to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation: 35 to 85

Mollic epipedon: 25 to 50 cm thick

Ap, A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3 dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 3 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4

Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 3 percent gravel
Reaction: pH 6.6 to 8.4

Bk, Bk2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 6 to 8 dry; 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry or moist
Rock fragments: 0 to 3 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 7 percent.
Reaction: pH 7.3 to 8.4

C1, C2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y dry or moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Texture (less than 2mm fraction): coarsely stratified layers ranging from very fine sandy loam, silt, or silt loam to silty clay.
Rock fragments: 0 to 4 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 9 to 15 percent
Reaction: pH 7.4 to 9.0

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hunters soils are on terrace risers and treads. Slopes range from 0 to 65 percent. Hunters soils formed in calcareous glaciolacustrine sediments mixed with loess and volcanic ash in the upper part. Elevations are 395 to 1250 meters. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation 375 to 650 mm, and the mean annual air temperature 7.5 to 1.0 degrees C. The frost-free season is 95 to 135 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cedonia, Chesaw, Garrison, Hodgson, Mires, Molson, Republic, Scala, and Stevens soils. Cedonia soils lack a mollic epipedon and are on lake terraces. Chesaw soils have a sandy-skeletal control section and are on outwash terraces. Garrison soils have a loamy-skeletal control section and are on outwash terraces. Hodgson soils are fine-family and are on terraces. Mires soils have a medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal control section and are on outwash terraces. Molson soils have a medial over loamy control section and are on hills. Republic and Stevens soils have a coarse-loamy control section. Republic soils are on fans and terraces and Stevens soils are on side slopes of hills and mountains. Scala soils have a coarse-loamy control section and have an ochric epipedon and are on terraces.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for cropland, woodland, and grazing land. Alfalfa and grass hay, small grains are common crops. The native vegetation is ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir with an understory of pinegrass, Idaho fescue, rough fescues, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and common snowberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington; MLRA 43A. Series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stevens County, Washington, 1913.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are:
Mollic epipedon: from 0 to 30 cm (Ap and A horizons)
Cambic horizon: from 30 to 102 cm (Bw, Bk1, Bk2 horizons)
Vitrandic feature: from 0 to 51 cm (Ap, A, Bw horizons)
Particle-size control section: from 25 to 100 cm (part of A, Bw, Bk1, part of Bk2 horizons)

Additional Information: The zone from 30 to 51 cm (Bw horizon) meets the color requirements for a mollic epipedon but has less than 1 percent organic matter based on laboratory data.

This description reflects a change in classification as of 5/00 with the addition of a superactive cation exchange activity class. The soil was originally classified as a Calcic Haploxeroll. Calcium carbonate percent based on laboratory data. The description as of 03/04 reflects a revision in horizon designation by removing the lithologic discontinuity as related to ash influence. This surface influence of ash is highly mixed and not readily discernable from the subsoil.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available for this pedon. Sample number 69WA010-1, pedon number 06937; NSSL-Riverside, CA, 2/1972.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.