LOCATION KIPER WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Kiper stony ashy sandy loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
0e--0 to 1 inch. partially decomposed forest litter. (1/2 to 3 inches thick)
A--1 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 5 percent stones over the surface; 5 percent gravel and 10 percent paragravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bw1--4 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, common fine, medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 15 percent paragravel and 10 percent paracobble; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--8 to 35 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, common medium roots; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent paragravel and 25 percent paracobble; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 19 to 34 inches)
C--35 to 61 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, common medium roots; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent paragravel and 10 percent paracobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 11 miles northeast of Ellensburg; 1,500 feet east and 500 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 28, T. 21 N., R. 19 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature ranges from 44 to 46 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 75 to 90 consecutive days during summer and fall. Solum thickness ranges from 25 to 41 inches. Base saturation from 10 to 30 inches is estimated to range from 50 to 60 percent. The particle-size control section averages 55 to 70 percent sand and 5 to 10 percent clay by weight in the fine earth fraction and 5 to 20 percent hard rock fragments and 15 to 50 percent weathered rock fragments by volume..
The A horizon has a value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. Texture is stony ashy sandy loam or ashy sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. Texture is gravelly ashy sandy loam or ashy sandy loam. It averages 5 to 20 percent gravel, 10 to 30 percent paragravel and 5 to 25 percent paracobbles.
The C horizon has a value of 4 or 5 moist. Texture is a gravelly loamy sand, gravelly sandy loam, or sandy loam. It averages 10 to 20 percent gravel, 15 to 25 percent paragravel, and 5 to 25 percent paracobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ampad, Micapeak (T), Ojibway and Switchback series. All of these soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kiper soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes are 5 to 65 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from swauk sandstone with minor additions of volcanic ash in the surface. Elevation is 3,600 to 5,500 feet. These soils are in a climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 24 to 40 inches. The mean January temperature is about 24 degrees F. and the mean July temperature is about 67 degrees F. The average annual temperature is about 42 to 45 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 145 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jumpe, Loneridge, Tepping, and Scotties series and the competing Ampad series. Jumpe soils average 35 to 65 percent basalt fragments by volume in the particle size control section. Loneridge soils have an argillic horizon and average 40 to 75 percent basalt rock fragments by volume in the particle size control section. Tepping soils have an argillic horizon, average 25 to 34 percent clay, and are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days during summer and fall. Scotties soils are loamy-skeletal, solum thickness ranges from 15 to 20 inches and are dominated by volcanic ash in the upper 7 to 13 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to rapid runoff; permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for grazable woodland, wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and grand fir with an understory of ceanothus, Oregon-grape, princes pine, pachystima, and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northern Kittitas County. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1981. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 1 to 4 inches
Cambic horizon - from 4 to 35 inches Vitrandic feature - from 1 to 8 inches
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.
Classification of this series was revised from mixed, frigid Dystric Xerochrepts to isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts based on the 8th edition of Soil Taxonomy.