LOCATION KEECHELUS WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Ultic Palexeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Keechelus stony ashy loam, under a coniferous forest on a 28 percent slope at 3500 feet elevation. The soil was moist when described. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 3 inches; moderately decomposed forest litter; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
A--3 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) stony ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent surface stones; NaF pH 8.6; slightly acid (pH 6.2) abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--9 to 22 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic, few coarse and common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent gravel; NaF pH 8.5; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--22 to 35 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very cobbly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds and rock fragments; 35 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.0; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--35 to 48 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) very gravelly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine irregular pores; many prominent clay films on faces of peds; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bt4--48 to 66 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 50 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2). (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 40 to 60 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 8 miles northeast of Cle Elum; 1,500 feet north and 1,00 feet east of the southwest corner of section 26, T. 21 N., R. 16 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The upper 0 to 6 inches is influenced by volcanic ash. The mean annual soil temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts in the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days during summer and fall. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 55 percent clay by weight in the fine earth fraction and does not decrease by as much as 20 percent from maximum within 60 inches from the soil surface. Base saturation (by sum of the cations) is estimated to range from 50 to 75 percent throughout the upper 30 inches of the argillic horizon.
The A horizon has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. Texture is stony ashy loam, cobbly ashy sandy loam or cobbly ashy loam. Some pedons have an AB horizon. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt1 horizon has a hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 4 to 6 dry or moist. Texture is gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, very cobbly clay, or very gravelly clay. It has 15 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 40 percent cobbles. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bt2 horizon has a hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 4 or 6 dry or moist. Texture is very cobbly clay, very cobbly clay loam, or very gravelly clay. It has 10 to 35 percent gravel and 10 to 40 percent cobbles Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bt3 and Bt4 horizons have a hue of 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 to 6 moist and chroma of 4 to 6 dry or moist. Texture is gravelly clay, very gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay, very cobbly clay, or extremely gravelly clay. It has 10 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 35 percent cobbles. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
A BC horizon is present in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Keechelus soils are on mountain side slopes, benches, and mountain summits. Slopes are 5 to 60 percent. They formed in residuum and colluvium from basalt, breccia, and pyroclastics mixed with clay deposits with minor amounts of volcanic ash in the surface. Elevation is 2,500 to 5,400 feet. These soils are in a continental climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 35 to 55 inches. The mean January temperature is about 24 degrees F. and the mean July temperature is about 66 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cliffdell, Hakker, Kafing, Nard, Sapkin, and Standup series. Cliffdell soils are loamy-skeletal, and lack an argillic horizon. Hakker soils have a mollic epipedon and are in swales and depressions. Kafing soils are fine-loamy lack an argillic horizon and have 5 to 10 percent hard siltstone fragments and 30 to 90 percent soft siltstone fragments in the particle-size control section. Nard soils are fine-loamy. Sapkin soils have a mollic epipedon and have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Standup soils are loamy-skeletal lack an argillic horizon and have 40 to 70 percent rhyolite fragments in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow to slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir, lodgepole pine and western larch with an understory of elksedge, pinegrass, ceanothus, Oregon-grape, common snowberry, and oceanspray.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in central Kittitas county; MLRA 6. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wenatchee National Forest, Kittitas County, Washington, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon from 3 to 9 inches
Argillic horizon - from 9 to 66 inches that does not decrease by as much as 20 percent from maximum at 60 inches.
Vitrandic feature - from 3 to 9 inches
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.