LOCATION LYNDEN WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, mesic Typic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Lynden sandy loam - on a 4 percent southeast-facing slope in pasture at 100 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 11.0; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Bs--8 to 18 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 12.0; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
2CB--18 to 30 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/3) sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; single grain; loose, many very fine roots; many fine irregular pores; NaF pH 10.5; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
2C--30 to 60 inches; variegated but dominantly dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2), sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; single grain; loose; many fine irregular pores; NaF pH 10.0; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Whatcom county, Washington; about 6 miles south of Lynden; 900 feet north and 750 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 16, T. 39 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE OF CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. Thickness of volcanic ash influence and depth to the 2CB LYNDEN horizon is 14 to 24 inches. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days following summer solstice. By weighted average the control section has 0 to 15 percent fine pebbles.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5Y or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry. Some pedons have an A2.
The Bs horizon has hue of 7.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry. Rock fragments range from 0 to 5 percent.
The 2CBs horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is loamy sand, coarse sand, or sand. Some pedons have a BC horizon.
The 2C horizon is variegated, but dominantly 10YR or 2.5Y loamy sand, medium sand, or coarse sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the similar Laxton, Lynnwood, Nargar, Ragnar, and Winston series in other families. All of these soils except Lynnwood soils have contrasting textures. In addition, Winston soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Lynnwood soils are sandy throughout the spodic horizon. Nargar soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days in the moisture control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lynden soils are on outwash terraces and plains at elevations of 50 to 300 feet. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in volcanic ash, loess, and sandy glacial outwash. Lynden soils are in a marine climate with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. Snow cover is intermittent. Average annual precipitation is 40 to 55 inches, which falls mostly between October and May. Each of the summer months has at least one inch of rainfall. Mean January temperature is 35 degrees F; mean July temperature is 63 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 150 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Laxton soils and the Edmonds, Fishtrap, Hale, Kickerville, Pangborn, Tromp, and Woodlyn soils. Edmonds and Woodlyn soils have a spodic horizon and an aquic moisture regime. Fishtrap and Pangborn soils are Histosols. Hale soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Kickerville soils are coarse-loamy. Tromp soils are weakly cemented and are mottled below 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the A and Bw horizons and rapid in the 2CB horizon and very rapid in the 2C horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for cropland and woodland and homesites. Berry crops, hay and pasture are common crops. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock and red alder, with an understory of western swordfern, salal, Oregon-grape, vine maple, western brackenfern, and trailing blackberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Washington. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whatcom County, Washington, 1907.
REMARKS: This draft reflects a change in classification from medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Andic Xerochrepts to sandy, mixed mesic Typic Haplorthods. Laboratory data are available on this soil (Sample S81WA-073-14). Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 8 inches, and a spodic horizon from 8 to 30 inches. The spodic horizon does not meet chemical criteria for a spodic horizon but does have micro morphology, i.e. cracked coatings and silt-sized or larger pellets.