LOCATION LAXTON WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, isotic over mixed, mesic Aquic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Laxton loam - on a 2 percent north facing slope in pasture at 90 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak fine subangular blocky parting to weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 10.5; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Bs1--9 to 17 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 12.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary.
Bs2--17 to 23 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 12.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bs horizon is 10 to 25 inches.)
2CB--23 to 32 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) loamy sand, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) mottles, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 11.5; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)
2C1--32 to 43 inches; variegated but dominantly olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) medium sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; common coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; single grain; loose; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 12.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
2C2--43 to 55 inches; variegated but dominantly light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sand; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; common medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) mottles, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; some dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) bands 1 to 2 mm thick; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; very few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 12.0; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
2C3--55 to 57 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) loamy sand, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; many fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) mottles, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) dry; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; very few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 12.0; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
2C4--57 to 60 inches; variegated but dominantly dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sand, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose; no roots observed; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 12.0; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Whatcom County, Washington; about 7 miles southeast of Blaine; l,400 feet north and 400 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 7, T. 40 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. Thickness of the solum and influence of loess and volcanic ash is 20 to 40 inches. These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The lower part of the particle-size control section has by weighted average 0 to 15 percent fine pebbles. Mottles are below a depth of 20 inches and mottles with a chroma of 2 or less are below 30 inches. The water table is above 40 inches for more than 60 days in most years. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 through 6 moist and dry. It is silt loam, loam, or sandy loam.
The Bs horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3 through 6 moist and dry. It is silt loam, loam, or fine sandy loam.
The 2CB horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 through 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. Mottles have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 4 through 6 moist and dry. It is loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
The 2C horizon is variegated but has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. Mottles have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 through 6 moist and dry. Either the matrix or the mottles have chroma of 2 or less in some part. It is sand, fine sand, or loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Hale series and the similar Clipper and Yelm soils. Hale soils have mottles throughout the spodic horizon. Clipper and Yelm soils are coarse-loamy.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Laxton 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. Laxton soils are in a marine climate with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. Snow cover is intermittent. Average annual precipitation is 35 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 36 degrees F; mean July temperature is 62 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 Clipper, Edmonds, Fishtrap, Hale, Lynden, Pangborn, Tromp, Wiserlake, and Yelm soils. Clipper soils are coarse-loamy. Edmonds and Woodlyn soils have an aquic moisture regime. Hale soils have chroma of 2 or less above 30 inches. Lynden soils are sandy. Pangborn and Fishtrap soils are histosols. Tromp soils are partly cemented and have 2 chroma mottles within 30 inches. Yelm soils are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability in the A and B horizons, rapid in the 2CB and very rapid in the 2C horizon. An apparent high water table is at a depth of 2 to 3 feet from November through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for cropland, woodland, and homesites. Berry crops, grain, and hay and pasture are common crops. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, and red alder with an understory of western swordfern, salal, Oregon-grape, vinemaple, red huckleberry, and western brackenfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whatcom County, Washington, l983.
REMARKS: This draft reflects a change in classification from medial over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Andic Xerochrepts to coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed Aquic Haplorthods. Characterization data are available on these soils. Laboratory numbers S81WA-073-6 and S81WA-073-18. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 9 inches, a spodic horizon from 9 to 23 inches, and an abrupt textural change at 23 inches. The spodic horizon does not meet chemical criteria for a spodic horizon but does have micro morphology of a spodic horizon, i.e. cracked coatings and silt-sized and larger pellets.