LOCATION KONERT WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Vertic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Konert silty clay loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches, dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong very fine and fine granular structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many roots; many very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A2--4 to 13 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong very fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many roots; common very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
A3--13 to 20 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; many fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Btg1--20 to 28 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; few fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist redox concentrations; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; many fine pores; few faint clay films on peds and in pores; moderate graying on vertical faces of peds; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Btg2--28 to 41 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist redox concentrations; strong fine and medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; many fine pores; few faint clay films on peds and in pores; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)
Cg--41 to 60 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; few fine dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist redox concentrations; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic, few roots, few fine pores; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Whitman County, Washington; about 1,400 feet east and 1,000 feet north of the SW corner of section 20, T.14N., R.46E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 degrees to 52 degrees F. The particle-size control section has 35 to 45 percent clay. These soils are saturated during the winter and spring. Rock fragments in the control section are less than 10 percent. The mollic epipedon is more than 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 3 to 5 dry, 1 to 3 moist and chroma of 1 or 2 dry or moist. Texture is silt loam or silty clay loam in the upper part and silty clay loam or silty clay in the lower part.
The Btg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 5 moist and chroma of 1 or 2 dry or moist. Texture is silty clay loam, clay loam or silty clay.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 1 dry or moist. Texture is silt loam, silty clay loam or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Conser,
Lakaskia,
Reed, and
Rowe series.
Conser soils mean annual soil temperature of 52 to 56 degrees F.; poorly drained with redox concentrations in the surface horizons
Lakaskia soils mean annual soil temperature of 58 to 60 degrees F.; mollic epipedon 10 to 18 inches thick; secondary carbonates within 30 inches; poorly drained with redox concentrations and nodules in the surface horizons
Reed soils particle-size control section has 50 to 70 percent clay; poorly drained with redox concentrations in the surface horizons
Rowe soils particle-size control section has 48 to 60 percent clay; secondary carbonates within 40 inches; poorly and very poorly drained
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on nearly level to level drainageways and flood plains. Elevations are 1,500 to 2,700 feet. They formed in alluvium. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils occur in a climate having dry summers and cool moist winters. The average January temperature is 26 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 68 degrees F. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 22 inches. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 50 degrees F. Frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Caldwell, Palouse, Tilma, and Schumacher soils. Caldwell soils do not have an argillic horizon, have 18 to 35 percent clay in the control section and are on flood plains. Palouse, Tilma, and Schumacher are well drained soils that formed in loess and are on loess hill and plains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; slow permeability. This soil is subject to frequent flooding of long duration in winter and spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and for production of small grains, clover, and grass. Native vegetation is tufted hairgrass, sedge, willows, and hawthorne.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Washington. MLRA 8, 9. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whitman County, Washington, 1975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon the zone from 0 to 41 inches (Al,A2,A3,Btg1 and Btg2 horizons)
Argillic horizon the zone from 20 to 41 inches (Btg1 and Btg2 horizons)
Vertic feature the zone from 0 to 40 inches having an estimated COLE of 7.5cm
Particle-size control section the zone from 20 to 40 inches
Rev. 2/98 reflects a change in classification from Typic Argiaquolls to Vertic Argiaquolls.