LOCATION LITCHY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic Oxyaquic Duricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Litchy very gravelly medial sandy loam- forestland, on a 36 percent west-facing slope at an elevation of 2,900 feet in a mountain hemlock/Alaska huckleberry plant association. (When described on August 16, 1991 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 8 inches; slightly decomposed log, common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Oa--8 to 11 inches; highly decomposed organic material; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
A--11 to 17 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) very gravelly medial sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; weak very fine 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 tubular and irregular pores; 30 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--17 to 22 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very gravelly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bw2--22 to 37 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)
2Bsm--37 to 45 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) pale yellow (5Y 7/3) dry; strongly cemented; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
2Cd--45 to 71 inches; olive (5Y 4/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, pale yellow (5Y 7/3) dry; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2). (several feet thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Mason County, Washington, about 1 mile northwest of Pine Lake, about 1800 feet east and 2200 feet north of the southwest corner of section 31, T. 23 N., R. 6 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 26 minutes, 27 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 29 minutes, 48 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Mean winter soil temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. These soils are usually moist and have a surplus of available water on a monthly basis throughout the year; perudic soil moisture regime. Depth to cemented layer is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the contact with the cemented layer has andic soil properties with an estimated moist bulk density of 0.30 to 0.70 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 5 percent, 15-bar water retention of 25 to 50 percent for air-dried samples, and 35 to 80 percent rock fragments by volume. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It has 15 to 25 percent organic matter. It has 3 to 7 cmol/kg of aluminum.
The Bw horizons have hue of 10YR, 7.5YR, and 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 through 6 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist and dry. They are very gravelly medial sandy loam, very cobbly medial loam, or extremely gravelly medial sandy loam. It has 10 to 20 percent organic matter. It has 2 to 4 cmol/kg of aluminum.
The 2Bsm horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 3, 4, or 6 dry. It has less than 1 percent organic matter. Moist bulk density is 1.70 to 2.00 g/cc.
The 2Cd horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist and 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and 3, 4, or 6 dry. It is extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam, or extremely gravelly loamy sand. It has moist bulk density of 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Aristine and Jorsted series. Aristine and Jorsted soils have a udic moisture regime. Jorsted and Aristine soil shave lower aluminum amounts (non-alic).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Litchy soils are on glacial cirques. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium over dense glacial till. Elevations are 2,500 to 3,900 feet. Average annual precipitation is 150 to 230 inches. Average annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. Frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Constance, Quitter, Stonybrook, and Weatherwax soils. Constance and Weatherwax soils are on mountain slopes and are very shallow to bedrock. Stonybrook and Quitter soils are on mountain slopes and are moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately rapid permeability above the cemented layer and very slow permeability below. The subsoil is saturated for over 20 consecutive and 30 cumulative days from November through April (Oxyaquic).
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is mountain hemlock, Pacific silver fir, Alaska yellowcedar, western hemlock, oval-leaf huckleberry, deer fern, avalanche lily, and five-leaved bramble.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Olympic Mountain, western slope, Mason and Grays Harbor Counties, Washington; MLRA 3. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mason County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic features recognized in this pedon are a folistic epipedon from 0 to 11 inches, an ochric epipedon, a cambic horizon from 17 to 37 inches, andic soil properties from the mineral soil surface to 37 inches, and a cemented layer from 37 to 45 inches. The particle-size control section is from 11 to 37 inches. This series also meets the saturation duration for Oxyaquic subgroup and the aluminum requirements for alic subgroup and Fulvi great group criteria. All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon S93WA-027-002.