LOCATION MUELLER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic Typic Haplocryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Mueller extremely gravelly medial sandy loam - forestland, on a 72 percent slope with a northeasterly aspect at an elevation of 4,170 feet in a Pacific silver fir/Pacific rhododendron plant association. (When described on May 27, 1993, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 5 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and other wood fragments; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A--5 to 14 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bw1--14 to 22 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--22 to 34 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--34 to 43 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary.
BC--43 to 65 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 2 miles east of Dirty Face Ridge, about 1,145 feet west and 350 feet north of the southeast corner of Section 22, T. 28 N., R. 3 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 53 minutes, 51 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 02 minutes, 15 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. The mean winter soil temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry for 30 to 45 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section; udic moisture regime. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The particle-size control section has andic soil properties with an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 3 percent, 15-bar water retention of 15 to 30 percent for air dried samples, and has 50 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent. Below a depth of about 40 inches, andic soil properties are absent primarily due to the reduced organic matter and the higher bulk density.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 2 through 4 dry. It has 5 to 10 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist and 3, 4, or 6 dry. It is very gravelly medial sandy loam, or extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, or extremely cobbly medial sandy loam. Reaction is slightly or moderately acid. It has 1 to 7 percent organic matter.
The BC horizon has color, texture and reaction similar to that of the Bw horizon but it has moist bulk density of 0.90 to 1.20 g/cc. It has organic matter content of less than 1 percent to 2 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Balcher, Blackjack, Fahnestock, Kahkwa, Musgrove, Sniderpeak, Sorethumb, Stonybrook and Tylerpeak series. Balcher soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to dense glacial till and are moderately well drained. Sniderpeak, Sorethumb, Stonybrook and Tylerpeak soil are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Fahnestock, Musgrove, Blackjack and Kahkwa soils are dry for 0 to 30 days and have a minimum of 70 inches of precipitation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mueller soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes are 60 to 90 percent. The soils formed in colluvium from marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 2,900 to 4,200 feet. Average annual precipitation is 40 to 70 inches. Average annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bungalow and Tylerpeak soils. Bungalow soils are 4 to 10 inches to bedrock. Tylerpeak soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is western hemlock, Pacific silverfir, western redcedar, Douglas-fir, western swordfern, Pacific rhododendron, Oregon-grape, and deerfoot vanillaleaf.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Clallam and Jefferson Counties, Washington; MLRA 3. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - 14 to 43 inches
Andic soil properties - 5 to 43 inches
PSCS - 5 to 45 inches
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.