LOCATION KAFING WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kafing ashy sandy loam under a coniferous forest on a 50 percent northeast facing slope at an elevation of 3,800 feet. The soil was moist when described. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; duff and litter; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A--2 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent soft sandstone and siltstone paragravel; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
AB--6 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and common medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent soft sandstone and siltstone paragravel; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--13 to 24 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, few medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent hard sandstone gravel, 20 percent soft sandstone and siltstone gravel, 5 percent soft sandstone and siltstone paracobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
BC--24 to 41 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent hard sandstone gravel, 20 percent soft siltstone paragravel and 10 percent soft siltstone paracobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary (10 to 20 inches thick)
C--41 to 62 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) silty clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent hard siltstone paragravel, 10 percent soft siltstone paragravel and 10 percent soft siltstone paracobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 3 miles north of Liberty; 2,500 feet west and 1,500 feet north of the southeast corner sec. 23, T. 21 N., R. 17 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 50 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 47 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 75 to 90 consecutive days following summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 40 percent sand in the fine earth fraction. The upper 8 to 14 inches has an estimated volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent and Alox plus Feox of 0.4 to 1.0 percent.
The A horizon is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The AB horizon or BA horizon (when present), has a chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It is ashy loam or ashy clay loam and averages 0 to 5 percent hard sandstone gravel and 20 to 30 percent soft sandstone and siltstone paragravel. It has a moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter. It is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bw horizon has a value of 4 or 5 moist. It is clay loam or silty clay loam and averages 0 to 5 percent sandstone gravel, 15 to 20 percent soft sandstone and siltstone paragravel, and 0 to 20 percent soft sandstone and siltstone paracobbles.
The BC and C horizons have a value of 6 or 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist. It is silty clay loam or clay loam and averages 0 to 10 percent hard sandstone gravel, 20 to 40 percent soft siltstone or sandstone paragravel, and 10 to 40 percent soft siltstone or sandstone paracobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bin soil. Bin soils have an umbric epipedon 10 to 18 inches thick and bedrock at 40 to 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kafing soils are on mountain side slopes and have slopes of 30 to 60 percent. They formed in colluvium and residuum from siltstone, sandstone with minor amounts of volcanic ash in the surface. Elevations are 2,800 to 4,900 feet. The soils are in a continental climate with warm dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches. The mean January temperature is about 24 degrees F, and the mean July temperature is about 64 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 145 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Ampad,
Brisky,
Kiper, and
Scotties, soils. Ampad soils are coarse-loamy, moderately deep to a weathered sandstone Cr horizon and are on questas and backslopes. Brisky soils have a mollic epipedon, are shallow to sandstone bedrock and are on mountain side slopes. Kiper and Scotties soils are coarse-loamy and are on mountain side slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is medium. Permeability is moderately slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir, western larch, elk sedge, pine grass, pinemat manzanita, ceanothus, and huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of central Kittitas County; MLRA 6. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington 1977.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features include:
Ochric epipedon - from 2 to 13 inches
Cambic horizon - from 13 to 41 inches
Vitrandic feature - from 2 to 13 inches
Particle-size control section - from 12 to 42 inches
Classification has been revised 01/2001 from a mixed, frigid Dystric Xerochrepts to a isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts.