LOCATION HALBERT WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, isotic, isomesic, shallow Histic Placic Petraquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Halbert muck on a 1 percent slope under coniferous forest at 110 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures. when described the soil was moist to 12 inches, wet below.)
Oi--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) peat; many very fine, fine and medium roots, and common coarse roots; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Oa--5 to 16 inches; black (10YR 2/1) muck, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots, common medium and coarse roots; less than 5 percent fiber; extremely acid (pH 4.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
A--16 to 21 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) mucky silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, common fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) redox depletions; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; extremely acid. (pH 4.0); gradual wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bg--21 to 31 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mucky silty clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; common fine and medium prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Bsm--31 to 32 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; common fine prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations; massive; indurated pan cemented by iron and manganese; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 25 mm thick)
Cg1--32 to 39 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; common fine prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine tubular pores; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2Cg2--39 to 76 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine tubular pores; 65 percent hard rounded gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington; one mile east of Pacific Beach, along a spur of the Aloha mainline logging road; 1,200 feet west and 400 feet north of the SE corner of sec. 16, T.20N., R.12W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is saturated to the surface from November to May. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. The difference between the mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 5 to 7 degrees F. The A and Bg horizons have moist bulk density of 0.60 to 0.80 g/cc. The histic epipedon is 8 to 16 inches thick. Depth to the placic horizon is 12 to 20 inches from the mineral surface. The mineral soil is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2. This horizon has granular or subangular blocky structure. It is very strongly acid or extremely acid. It has 10 to 20 percent organic matter. It is silt loam or silty clay loam.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 1 or 2. It has 2 to 10 percent organic matter. It is silt loam or silty clay loam with 18 to 30 percent clay and 50 to 70 percent silt.
The Bsm horizon (placic horizon) has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR. Indurated iron, manganese and organic matter cemented pan.
The Cg horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 0 through 2. It is silty clay loam or silty clay. It has 0 to 10 percent coarse fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Halbert soils are in depressions and along low-gradient streams on glacial outwash terraces and till plains. Slopes are 0 to 10 percent. These soils formed in glaciolacustrine sediments deposited over piedmont glacial outwash from the Olympic Mountains. Elevations range from 50 to 300 feet. They are in a humid marine climate with cool, wet winters and cool, moist summers. Mean precipitation is 80 to 120 inches. The mean January temperature is about 38 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 59 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free period is 180 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nemah, O'Brien, Oyhut, Papac, Willaby, and Wishkah soils. These soils lack a placic horizon and histic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained; very slow or ponded runoff; permeability is moderately slow above the placic horizon, very slow in the placic horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal uses are timber production and wildlife habitat. The major tree species are western redcedar and Sitka spruce. Minor tree species include western hemlock, and shore pine. Understory species include red and evergreen huckleberry, salal, western swordfern, salmonberry and trailing blackberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal areas of northern Grays Harbor County, Washington; MLRA 4A. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:
Histic epipedon - 0 to 16 inches
Placic horizon - 31 to 32 inches
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.