LOCATION KLAUS WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, amorphic over mixed, mesic, ortstein Andic Durorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Klaus medial loamy sand - forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; undecomposed forest litter and moss, abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Oa--1 to 2 inches; black (10YR 2/1) soft decomposed litter and moss bound by roots, abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
E--2 to 4 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) medial loamy sand (volcanic ash) gray (2.5Y 6/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic, weakly smeary; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine discontinuous pores; 10 percent gravel; 10 percent 2mm and less diameter pumiceous ash; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bhs--4 to 9 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) medial sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic, weakly smeary; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine, discontinuous pores; 10 percent gravel,;10 percent 2mm and less diameter pumiceous ash; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bs--9 to 18 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic, weakly smeary; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine discontinuous pores; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2BC--18 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose; common fine and medium roots, many very fine and fine discontinuous pores, 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
2Bsm--30 to 45 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm, nonsticky and nonplastic, weakly cemented; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
2C--45 to 62 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; single grain; loose; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones, moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Snoqualmie Pass Area, King County, Washington; 300 feet east and 1,000 feet north of the southwest corner of section 7, T. 23 N., R. 9 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. Depth to the 2BC horizon is 12 to 30 inches and the depth to the iron cemented 2Bsm horizon ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Pedons range from weakly smeary to moderately smeary in the E and B horizons. The upper 14 to 30 inches of the solum is estimated to have andic soil properties.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5 moist, 4 through 6 dry and chroma of 2 through 4 moist, 0 through 3 dry. It contains 20 to 45 percent pumice or pumiceous volcanic ash. Texture is modified by 10 to 15 percent gravel. In some pedons, the E is destroyed due to logging activities. Reaction is very strongly or strongly acid.
The Bhs and Bs horizons have hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry. They average 10 to 45 percent pumiceous ash and 10 to 20 percent other volcanic ash from other sources. It has 10 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
The 2BC horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry and chroma 2 through 6 moist or dry. The texture is very gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly sand, or extremely gravelly sand. It averages 35 to 60 percent gravel, 5 to 20 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones. The 2BC horizon contains a large root mass just above the 2BC horizon. Reaction is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The 2Bsm and 2C horizons have colors and textures like the 2BC horizon. The 2Bsm horizon is weakly cemented with iron and extremely hard to break in place. When removed, it is easily broken by hand.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Klaus soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments at elevations of 700 to 1,400 feet. Slopes are 2 to 65 percent. They formed in material high in volcanic ash overlying glacial outwash. The mean January temperature is about 36 degrees F. and the mean July temperature is 62 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 80 to 100 inches. The frost-free season is 140 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barneston, Everett, Cinebar, Skykomish, Tokul, and Winston soils. Barneston, Cinebar, Everett, and Skykomish soils lack a cemented layer within 40 inches. In addition, Skykomish soils are frigid. Tokul soils are coarse loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to medium runoff, rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production and watershed. Vegetation is Douglas-fir and western hemlock with an understory of vine maple, salal, western swordfern and mosses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Washington; MLRA 3. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: King County, Washington, 1943.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
albic horizon - the zone from 2 to 4 inches
spodic horizon- the zone from 4 to 18 inches
cemented spodic horizon (ortstein) - the zone from 30 to 45 inches
andic soil properties - the zone from 2 to 18 inches (assumed)
particle-size control section - the zone from 12 to 42 inches
The series has been reclassified 08/03 from sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic, ortstein Typic Haplorthods to medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, amorphic over mixed, mesic, ortstein Typic Durorthods.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data are available on these soils. Laboratory numbers S80WA033-005, 80T7621-7622, and 79T458-459.