LOCATION LYNXCREEK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, isotic Andic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Lynxcreek ashy silt loam - on a 24 percent northeast facing slope, at 3,620 feet elevation, under a mixed subalpine fir-Engelmann spruce canopy. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All Textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 3 inches; needles, leaves, twigs and partially decomposed organic litter; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--3 to 12 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
2E--12 to 13 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine,and few medium and coarse roots; neutral (pH 6.6); clear broken boundary. (0 to 1 inch thick)
2Bt1--13 to 19 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 5 percent pebbles and cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clears wavy boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
2Bt2--19 to 31 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent pebbles and cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
2Bt3--31 to 39 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; few thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2C--39 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; laminated; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; matted roots between laminations; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation, Ferry County, Washington; about 16 miles northwest of the town of Inchelium; 2,000 feet east and 1,000 feet south of the northwest corner of section 2, T. 33 N., R. 34 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 40 to 42 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between a depth of 4 and 12 inches for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Thickness of the volcanic ash mantle ranges from 7 to 14 inches and has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.75 to 0.85 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percnet, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section averages 5 to 15 percent coarse fragments and 18 to 35 percent clay. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. It is 0 to 5 percent pebbles.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist. Some pedons have distinct to prominent mottles. It is silt loam or silty clay loam. It is 5 to 10 percent pebbles and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 7 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry, 3 or 4 moist. It is loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam. It is 5 to 15 percent pebbles and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the similar Meadowport and Narnett series. Meadowport and Narnett soils have mixed mineralogy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lynxcreek soils are on high terraces at elevations of 3,300 to 4,200 feet. These soils formed in glaciolacustrine sediments with a mantle of volcanic ash. Slopes are 20 to 40 percent. The climate is characterized by cool, dry summers and cold, moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 20 to 30 inches. Mean January temperature is about 20 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 60 degrees F, and mean annual air temperature is about 40 degrees F. Frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buhrig, Codylake, Manley, Martella, Merkel, Moscow, Moses (T), and Newbell soils. Buhrig soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Codylake and Manley soils have a volcanic ash mantle greater than 14 inches thick. Martella, Merkel, Moscow, and Newbell soils are frigid. Moses soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, western larch, longtube twinflower, pachystima, queencup beadlily, blackmountain huckleberry, Utah honeysuckle, and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colville Indian Reservation, Ferry County, Washington, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 12 inches, and an argillic horizon from 13 to 39 inches.