LOCATION KALAMA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Palexeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Kalama gravelly loam, 15 to 30 percent slopes. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) gravelly loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine tubular pores; 20 percent rounded pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4) clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
E--7 to 17 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium roots; many fine tubular pores; few thin clay films lining pores; 20 percent rounded pebbles; strongly acid; (pH 5.5) clear wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
Bt/E--17 to 21 inches; variegated dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam (Bt part), brown (7.5YR 5/4), dark brown (10YR 4/3) loam (E part), and very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; few medium prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) mottles, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry; moderate fine and strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; many fine tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on pebbles and on some faces of peds; 25 percent rounded pebbles; moderately acid; (pH 5.8) clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--21 to 31 inches; variegated colors, dark brown (10YR 4/3) and (7.5YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; moderate very fine and strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many fine tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on pebbles and faces of peds; 25 percent rounded pebbles; moderately acid; (pH 5.8) clear wavy boundary. (8 to 11 inches thick)
Bt2--31 to 60 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very gravelly clay loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on pebbles; 40 percent rounded pebbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Cowlitz County, Washington; about 2 miles northeast of Kelso, 75 feet south and 700 feet west of the northeast corner of section 23, T. 8 N., R. 2 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts between depths of 7 and 20 inches for 45 to 60 consecutive days. Mean annual temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments.
The A horizon has moist value and chroma of 2 or 3. It is gravelly silt loam or gravelly loam. It is slightly acid or moderately acid.
The E horizon has value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry; chroma of 3 moist or dry. It is gravelly silt loam or gravelly loam. It is slightly acid to strongly acid.
The B part of the B/E horizon has hue of 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist and 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist or dry. The E part of the B/E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 7 or 8 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist or dry. Texture is gravelly clay loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly silty clay loam. It is moderately acid or strongly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 6 moist or dry, and chroma of 2 through 8 moist or dry. It is gravelly loam or gravelly clay loam in the upper part and gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay loam in the lower part. It averages 18 to 35 percent clay. It is moderately acid or strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Galvin and Stella soils in other families. Galvin and Stella soils are fine-silty.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kalama soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments at elevations of 100 to 500 feet. Slopes are 8 to 60 percent. These soils formed in old gravelly alluvium from mixed origin. The climate is characterized by warm dry summers and cool wet winters. The average January temperature is 38 degrees F., and the average July temperature is 64 degrees F. The average annual temperature is about 51 degrees F. The average annual precipitation is 45 to 60 inches. The growing season (28 degrees F.) is 220 to 240 days. The frost-free period is 150 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kelso, Rose Valley and Sara soils. Kelso and Rose Valley soils are fine-silty. Sara soils are somewhat poorly drained and are in a fine family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability. A perched water table is as high as 2.5 to 5 feet at times from December to March.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, hay and pasture, and homesites. Principal vegetation is Douglas- fir, red alder, western redcedar, western hemlock, and bigleaf maple; with an understory of vine maple, salmonberry, salal, western bracken fern, cascade Oregon-grape, cascara buckthorn, western swordfern, red huckleberry, trillium, violet, and longtube twinflower.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Washington. Kalama soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Cowlitz County, Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 7 inches, an albic horizon from 7 to 17 inches, and an argillic horizon from 17 to 60 inches that has albic material in the upper 4 inches.