LOCATION KAUTZ WA
Established Series
IRD. SMB/PHR/MPR
07/2017
KAUTZ SERIES
Landscape--Cascade Mountains
Landform--debris aprons, valley walls
Slope--5 to 100 percent
Parent material--volcanic ash over colluvium derived from andesite
Mean annual precipitation--about 1800 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 6 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--well drained
Soil moisture regime--udic
Soil temperature regime--frigid
Soil moisture subclass--typic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, amorphic, frigid Andic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Kautz ashy sandy loam on a forested, south-facing, 8-percent slope of a debris apron at an elevation of 700 m (When described on May 22, 2012, the soil was moist throughout.)
Oi--0 to 2 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; few very fine and fine roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt smooth boundary
Oe--2 to 8 cm; moderately decomposed plant material; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt smooth boundary
E--8 to 15 cm; ashy sandy loam, gray (10YR 6/1) dry, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary
Bs1--15 to 26 cm; ashy sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) dry, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine pumice paragravel and 5 percent medium and coarse pumice paragravel; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear wavy boundary
Bs2--26 to 76 cm; paragravelly ashy loamy sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent fine pumice paragravel and 5 percent medium and coarse pumice paragravel; moderately acid (pH 5.7); clear wavy boundary
2Bw1--76 to 120 cm; gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine andesite gravel, 20 percent medium and coarse andesite gravel, and 5 percent andesite cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear wavy boundary
2Bw2--120 to 150 cm; very gravelly ashy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine andesite gravel, 20 percent medium and coarse andesite gravel, and 10 percent andesite cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9)
TYPE LOCATION: Pierce County, Washington, about 900 m north of the Nisqually Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park; about 130 m south and 105 m east of the northwest corner of section 34, T. 15 N., R. 7 E., Willamette Meridian; Sawtooth Ridge, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle; latitude 46.749026 degrees north, longitude -121.916809 degrees west, datum WGS 84 (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--6 to 8 degrees C
Soil moisture control section--dry less than 45 consecutive days in June through October
Depth to lithologic discontinuity--70 to 90 cm
Depth to lithic contact--greater than 150 cm (very deep)
All mineral horizons
*Volcanic glass content--50 to 70 percent
*Ammonium oxalate Al plus 1/2 Fe--greater than 0.4 percent
Particle size control section
*Clay content--1 to 7 percent
*Pararock and rock fragment content--15 to 35 percent total (weighted average), including pumice paragravel typically in the upper part of the profile and andesite gravel, cobbles, and stones in the lower part
O horizon
*In lieu of texture--slightly decomposed plant material, moderately decomposed plant material
*Combined thickness--3 to 12 cm
E horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--3 to 6 moist, 5 to 8 dry
*Chroma--1 or 2 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--ashy sandy loam, ashy loamy sand
*Clay content--1 to 5 percent
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 15 percent fine to coarse pumice paragravel
*Reaction--4.5 to 5.5
*Thickness--3 to 15 cm
Bs1 horizon
*Hue--5YR, 7.5YR
*Value--2.5 to 5 moist, 4 to 7 dry
*Chroma--1 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--ashy sandy loam, ashy loamy sand, ashy loamy coarse sand
*Clay content--1 to 7 percent
*Pararock fragment content--5 to 25 percent fine to coarse pumice paragravel
*Ammonium oxalate Al plus 1/2 Fe--greater than 1 percent
*Reaction--5.1 to 6.0
*Thickness--10 to 30 cm
Bs2 horizon
*Hue--7.5YR, 5YR
*Value--2.5 to 5 moist, 4 to 7 dry
*Chroma--1 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--ashy loamy sand, ashy sandy loam, ashy loamy coarse sand
*Clay content--1 to 7 percent
*Pararock and rock fragment content--5 to 30 percent total, including 5 to 25 percent fine to coarse pumice paragravel and 0 to 5 percent fine to coarse andesite gravel
*Ammonium oxalate Al plus 1/2 Fe--greater than 1 percent
*Reaction--5.1 to 6.0
*Thickness--45 to 60 cm
2Bw1 horizon
*Hue--7.5YR, 10YR
*Value--2.5 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--ashy sandy loam, ashy coarse sandy loam, ashy loamy sand
*Clay content--1 to 7 percent
*Rock fragment content--15 to 35 percent total, including 5 to 30 percent fine to coarse andesite gravel, 0 to 15 percent andesite cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent andesite stones
*Reaction--5.1 to 6.0
2Bw2 horizon
*Hue--7.5YR, 10YR
*Value--2.5 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--ashy sandy loam, ashy coarse sandy loam, ashy loamy sand
*Clay content--1 to 7 percent
*Rock fragment content--35 to 60 percent total, including 15 to 35 percent fine to coarse andesite gravel, 0 to 20 percent andesite cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent andesite stones
*Reaction--5.1 to 6.0
COMPETING SERIES:
Goldenlakes--lithic contact at a depth of 50 to 100 cm (moderately deep)
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--500 to 1100 m
Climate--warm, dry summers; cool, wet winters
Mean annual precipitation--1600 to 2000 mm
Mean annual air temperature--5 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--90 to 130 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Ingraham--25 to 50 cm deep to lithic contact (shallow); on similar landforms commonly associated with bedrock exposures near the surface
Goldenlakes--50 to 100 cm deep to lithic contact (moderately deep); on similar landforms commonly associated with bedrock exposures near the surface
Sunbeam--aquic conditions within 25 cm of the soil surface; in gentler sloping positions that receive runoff from upslope areas
Tokaloo--aquic conditions at a depth of 25 to 50 cm from the soil surface; in gentler sloping positions that receive runoff from upslope areas
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--well drained
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--high or very high throughout
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat, recreation
Potential natural vegetation--western hemlock, western redcedar, Douglas-fir, vine maple, western swordfern, Cascade Oregon grape, vanillaleaf, salal, beargrass, prince's pine, pachistima, red huckleberry, black huckleberry
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Cascade Mountains, Washington; MLRA 3; small extent
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington; 2014; name from Kautz Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon
*Particle-size control section--zone from 33 to 108 cm
*Ochric epipedon
*Albic horizon--zone from 8 to 15 cm
*Spodic horizon--zone from 15 to 76 cm
*Andic soil properties--zone from 8 to 150 cm
*Volcanic glass--zone from 8 to 150 cm
*Depth to lithologic discontinuity--76 cm
*Distinguishable tephra layers--Mount St. Helens Wn tephra (E horizon), Mount St. Helens Yn tephra (Bs horizons)
3/2017--This official series description was updated according to SSR1 Technical Note 11--Content and Format of Official Series Descriptions (revised 12/2015). Most of the changes were in formatting; no major technical changes were made.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.