LOCATION KLAHOWYA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, ferrihydritic over isotic, isomesic Oxyaquic Udivitrands
TYPICAL PEDON: Klahowya gravelly medial sandy loam - forestland, on a 14 percent northwesterly aspect at an elevation of 760 feet in a western hemlock/swordfern-foamflower plant association. (When described on March 31, 1994, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and cone fragments; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
Oe--2 to 3 inches; moderately decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (0.5 to 1.5 inches thick)
A--3 to 10 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--10 to 31 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) gravelly medial sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) 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; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
Bw2--31 to 46 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) gravelly medial sandy 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, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
BC1--46 to 51 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) gravelly sandy loam, yellow (2.5Y 7/6) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
BC2--51 to 55 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly sandy loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) 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; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; few fine distinct light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) iron depletions on ped faces and few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation on ped faces; 15 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 11 inches thick)
Cd--55 to 63 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) very gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; hard, brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation on ped faces; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 3 miles southeast of Beaver Prairie, about 1,585 feet east and 440 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 9, T. 29 N., R. 12 W. (Latitude 48 degrees, 02 minutes, 13 seconds N., Longitude 124 degrees, 00 minutes, 31 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 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 30 to 45 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section; udic moisture regime. Depth to dense till is 40 to 60 inches. Depth to redox features is 35 to 50 inches. The particle-size control section has andic soil properties with a cumulative thickness of 25 to 35 inches and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments by volume. The andic soil material 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 2 to 3 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100 percent, 15-bar water retention of 12 to 15 percent for air dried samples and 20 to 30 percent for moist samples. Acid oxalate extractable iron in the A and upper part of the Bw horizon is 1.5 to 3.0 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It has 5 to 10 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 3, 4, or 6 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It is gravelly medial sandy loam, gravelly medial loam, or gravelly medial silt loam. It has 1 to 7 percent organic matter.
The lower part of the Bw and BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y moist and dry, value of 3 or 5 moist, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist. It is gravelly sandy loam, gravelly silt loam, or gravelly loam.
The Cd horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It is very gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly loam. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid. It has moist bulk density of 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Klahowya soils are on ground moraines. Slopes are 10 to 40 percent. The soils formed in continental glacial till. Elevations are 400 to 1,200 feet. Average annual precipitation is 75 to 130 inches. Average annual temperature is 46 to 48 degrees F. The frost-free season is 140 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonidu and Ovington soils. Bonidu and Ovington soils are on ground moraines and glaciated mountain slopes and are medial-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderate over slow permeability. Klahowya 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 hemlock, western redcedar, Sitka spruce, red alder, western swordfern, Oregon oxalis, threeleaf foamflower, deer fern, devil's club, salmonberry, and red huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Clallam County, Washington; MLRA 1. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - 10 to 55 inches
Andic soil properties - 3 to 31 inches
Densic layer - 55 to 63 inches
PSCS - 3 to 43 inches (from 3 to 28 inches the control section is medial and ferrihydritic and from 28 to 43 inches is loamy and isotic).
The series would meet the criteria for Oxyaquic if such a subgroup were recognized. Some pedons may qualify as Aquic where the depth to till is at about 40 inches. All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.