LOCATION KESTNER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, isofrigid Aquic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Kestner loam - forestland on a 35 percent southerly aspect at an elevation of 1,340 feet in a Pacific silver fir/salal-deer fern plant association (When described on May 9, 1997, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and cone fragments; abrupt smooth boundary. (0.5 to 3 inches thick)
Oe--1 to 8 inches; moderately decomposed organic materials; abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)
Oa--8 to 15 inches; highly decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
E--15 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, white (10YR 8/1) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; extremely acid (pH 3.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bhs1--18 to 22 inches; 65 percent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) silt loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) dry, 25 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3), brown (10YR 5/3) dry, and 10 percent light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), white (10YR 8/1) dry; massive, hard, firm, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; extremely acid (pH 3.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bhs2--22 to 27 inches; 85 percent very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry and 15 percent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bhs horizon is 7 to 11 inches)
Bw--27 to 32 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bh--32 to 42 inches; 75 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) very gravelly loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry and 25 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3), brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
BC--42 to 47 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) extremely gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redox concentrations, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry and few fine distinct light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) redox depletions, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
Cd--47 to 75 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; massive; hard, brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Washington, about 5 3/4 miles north of the intersection of State Highway 101 and Hass Road, about 1055 feet west and 320 feet south of the northeast corner of Section 22, T. 24 N., R. 10 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 33 minutes, 35 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 55 minutes, 38 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: All depths to diagnostic features are from the top of the first mineral horizon. Mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. The mean winter soil temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The difference between the mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 5 to 9 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry 0 to 30 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section. Depth to dense till (densic material) is 25 to 40 inches. Depth to redox features is 20 to 30 inches. The particle-size control section from 10 inches to the dense till contact has a weighted average of 35 to 50 percent rock fragments by volume. The solum to a depth of 20 to 30 inches has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 1 to 2 percent, phosphate retention of 40 to 85 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 20 to 30 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section has 15 to 25 percent field estimated clay and 30 to 60 percent sand. Base saturation is less than 10 percent by ammonium acetate throughout the profile. The solum has 5 to 15 meq/100g of extractable aluminum.
The E horizon (albic materials) has value of 5 or 6 moist and 6 through 8 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 dry. It has 1 to 3 percent organic matter.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 7.5YR moist,10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 3, 4, or 6 moist and 5 through 8 dry, and chroma of 2, 3, or 6 moist and 1, 3, 4, or 8 dry. It is silt loam, loam, or gravelly loam. It is extremely acid or very strongly acid. NaF pH is 8.5 to 10. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 4 or 5 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist and 6 or 8 dry. It is gravelly loam, loam, or silt loam. NaF pH is 8.5 to 10. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter.
The Bh horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and 4, 5, or 7 dry and chroma of 2, 3, or 6 moist and 3 or 6 dry. It is very gravelly loam or extremely gravelly loam. NaF pH is 8.5 to 10. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter.
The BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y most and dry, value of 4 through 6 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 dry. It is extremely gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam. It has 5 to 15 percent clay. Moist bulk density is 0.90 to 1.20 g/cc. It has 2 to 4 percent organic matter.
The Cd horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y moist and dry, value of 4 through 6 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It is extremely gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam. Moist bulk density if 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the similar Samsriver series. Samsriver soils have a perudic soil moisture regime and are oxyaquic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kestner soils are on glacial valleys. Slopes are 15 to 50 percent. The soils are formed in residuum and colluvium from alpine glacial till derived from sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Elevations are 800 to 2500 feet. Average annual precipitation is 130 to 170 inches. Fog drip contributes to the effective precipitation totals. Average annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hookbranch, Kunamakst, Lunchcreek, Snahopish, Sockeye, and Solleks soils. Hookbranch and Lunchcreek soils lack the albic and spodic horizons and have a perudic soil moisture regime. Kunamakst soils are on glacial valleys and are shallow and poorly drained. Snahopish, Sockeye, and Sollecks soils are well drained and lack the spodic and albic horizons..
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well to somewhat poorly drained; moderate over slow or very slow permeability. Kestner soils have a perched zone of saturation above the dense till from November through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is western redcedar, western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, vine maple, Alaska huckleberry, salal, deer fern, and bunchberry dogwood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Jefferson County and Grays Harbor, Washington; MLRA 4A. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features:
Folistic epipedon - 0 to 17 inches
Albic horizon - 17 to 20 inches
Spodic horizon - 18 to 27 inches
Estimated andic soil properties are based on laboratory data from the similar Samsriver and Knorr series; samples S98WA-031-001 and 002.