LOCATION INCHELIUM WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Inchelium ashy silt loam - under pasture, on a 2 percent slope at 1,545 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 13 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) ashy silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; neutral (pH 6.8); diffuse smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
A2--13 to 27 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
AB--27 to 42 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bw--42 to 51 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
2Bk--51 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine soft segregated lime in pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Ferry County, Washington; about 4 miles north of the town of Inchelium, along the Kettle Falls - Inchelium Road; 2,350 feet south and 1,600 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 13, T. 33 N., R. 36 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 47 to 49 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The upper 7 to 14 inches has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.00 to 1.20 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. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 42 inches thick. Depth to calcareous lake sediments range from 50 to more than 60 inches. The particle-size control section is 10 to 18 percent clay.
The A horizon has value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 dry or moist.
The AB horizon has value of 4 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bk horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It is slightly to strongly effervescent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Inchelium soils are on terraces adjacent to toeslopes of uplands. The soils formed in loess and glaciofluvial material over lacustrine sediments. Elevation is 1,300 to 2,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 15 to 18 inches. The mean January temperature is about 26 degrees F, the mean July temperature is 66 degrees F, and the mean annual air temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. Frost-free Season is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cedonia, Hodgson, Hunters, Lakesol, Phoebe, and the competing Stevens soils. Cedonia soils are fine-silty and lack a mollic epipedon. Hodgson soils have an argillic horizon and are fine. Hunters soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick. Lakesol soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick and are frigid. Phoebe soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick and are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The principal uses are cropland, hay and pasture, timber production, grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir, with an understory of common snowberry, pinegrass, Saskatoon serviceberry, blue wildrye, creeping Oregon-grape and western needlegrass. The plant association is Douglas-fir/common snowberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colville Indian Reservation, Ferry County, Washington, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 42 inches and a cambic horizon from 42 to 51 inches. The base saturation (by sum of cations) is estimated to be less than 75 percent in all or part of the upper 30 inches. The description reflects a change in classification from coarse-silty, mixed, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls to coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls.