LOCATION KAHLOTUS WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kahlotus very fine sandy loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
Bw2--17 to 37 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 25 inches thick)
Bk1--37 to 55 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)
Bk2--55 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; lime occurs in threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.l); clear wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Washington; about 14 miles northeast of Pasco, l mile north of the Kahlotus Highway-Levey Road Junction; l,700 feet east, 2,400 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 6, T. 9 N., R. 32 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 49 to 53 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches. The particle-size control section is silt loam or very fine sandy loam, averaging 2 to 7 percent clay, 5 to 10 percent fine sand and coarser sand and 0 to 6 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. It is very fine sandy loam or silt loam.
The Bw1 and Bw2 horizons have value of 4, 5, or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. It has 0 to 6 percent fine gravel.
The Bk1 horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. It has 0 to 10 percent fine gravel. It is violently effervescent but contains no evidence of secondary lime.
The Bk2 horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is silt loam or very fine sandy loam. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the
Ellisforde,
Mikkalo,
Neeley,
Ritzville and
Zen series.
Ellisforde soils 20 to 40 inches to lacustrine laminated silty sediments; 15 to 40 inches to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation (2Bk horizon)
Mikkalo soils 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact (basalt); 16 to 30 inches to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation; particle-size control section has 8 to 12 percent clay
Neely soils 7 to 26 inches to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation
Ritzville soils 19 to 44 inches to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation; silty stratification or a duripan occurs at 40 to 60 inches in some pedons
Zen soils 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact (basalt); 14 to 30 inches to secondary calcium carbonate accumulation; particle-size control section has 22 to 28 percent clay and 1 to 5 percent sand size pumice
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kahlotus soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments at elevations of 300 to 2,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. These soils formed in glaciofluvial sediments mixed with loess in the upper part. These soils are in a semi-arid climate with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. Average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. Mean January temperature is about 27 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 7l degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. Frost-free season is 150 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Ritzville soils and the Roloff, Starbuck, and Stratford soils. Roloff soils are coarse-loamy and 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact with basalt. Starbuck soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to a lithic contact with basalt. Stratford soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Ritzville soils are on uplands including plateaus, benches, and canyon side slopes. Roloff and Starbuck soils are on benches, ridges, escarpments, and hillslopes. Stratfprd soils are on terraces and outwash plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated and nonirrigated cropland. Some areas are used for livestock grazing. Wheat, row crops, and hay are common crops. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, big sagebrush, and yarrow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southcentral Washington. MLRA 8. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Franklin County, Washington, l994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon zone from the surface to 10 inches
Cambic horizon zone from 10 to 37 inches
Identifiable secondary carbonate accumulation below 110 cm.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data are available on this soil. NSS Lab Numbers S81WA-021-1, 817377-817382.