LOCATION MUSHEL ID

Established Series
Rev. BLR-BDG-EMM
06/2013

MUSHEL SERIES

The Mushel series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in granitic or metamorphic residuum and/or colluvium with a thin volcanic ash mantle. They are on mountain slopes and ridges. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high and slopes range from 5 to 75 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 40 inches and the average annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Andic Hapludalfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Mushel ashy silt loam, forested, on a 55 percent slope at 3,300 feet elevation. Aspect is north. When described on July 30, 1992 the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Oi--0 to 1 inch; fresh and partially decomposed moss, needles, twigs, leaves, and bark.

Oe--1 to 3 inches; decomposed needles, twigs, bark, leaves, and moss. (O horizons 0.5 to 5 inches thick)

A--3 to 6 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) ashy silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine charcoal; few fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick).

Bw--6 to 13 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium, and few coarse roots; many very fine irregular, few fine and medium tubular pores; 2 percent fine charcoal; few fine rounded iron-manganese concretions; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick).

2BE--13 to 21 inches; 75% very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 25% light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots located along ped faces, few very fine roots located in interior of peds; common very fine and fine irregular, and few very fine and fine tubular pores; few, distinct clay films located on faces of peds; 2 inch krotovina; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick).

2Bt1--21 to 31 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots located along ped faces, few very fine roots located in interior of peds; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; few, distinct clay films located on faces of peds; few yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) zones of clay enrichment; 3 percent fine mica flakes; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary.

2Bt2--31 to 39 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots located along ped faces, few very fine roots located in interior of peds; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 0.5 to 1 inch thick clay bands 1 to 3 inches apart, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; 4 percent fine mica flakes; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (2Bt horizons 10 to 47 inches thick).

2BC--39 to 48 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; few very fine roots along ped faces; many very fine and few fine tubular and common very fine irregular pores; 0.5 to 1 inch thick clay bands 5 to 7 inches apart, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; 5 percent fine mica flakes; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick).

2C1--48 to 61 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, non-sticky and non-plastic; few very fine and fine roots along ped faces; common very fine and fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 0.5 to 1 inch thick clay bands 1 to 3 inches apart, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) loam; 3 percent fine mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick).

2C2--61 to 68 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable; few very fine roots located in cracks; few very fine irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; moderately acid (pH 5.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Clearwater County, Idaho; about 2 miles south and 6 miles east of Weippe, Idaho; about 700 feet north and 1,600 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 26, T. 35 N., R. 5 E.; Latitude - 46 degrees, 20 minutes, 29 seconds North; Longitude - 115 degrees, 47 minutes, 32 seconds West. USGS Brown Creek Ridge quadrangle.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Average annual soil temperature - 43 to 46 degrees F. (frigid temperature regime)
Soil moisture control section - usually moist year around and not dry for 45 consecutive days from June to October. (udic moisture regime)

Thickness of volcanic ash - 8 to 13 inches.
Moist bulk density - 0.60 to 1.00 g/cc
Acxid oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 1.0 to 2.2
Volcanic glass content - 25 to 35 percent

A horizon
Hue - 10YR to 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 4 dry or moist
Clay content - 8 to 14 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction - 5.1 to 7.3

Bw horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - ashy silt loam or ashy loam
Clay content - 7 to 16 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction - 5.6 to 7.3

2B/E and 2BE horizons (where present)
Color of B part:
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR dry or moist
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Color of E part:
Hue - 7.5YR or 10YR dry or moist
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Clay content - 9 to 23 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 5 percent gravel
Reaction - 5.5 to 6.5

2Bt horizons
Hue - 2.5Y to 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 5 to 8 dry and 4 to 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture - loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or coarse sandy loam
Clay content - 9 to 23 percent (weighted average is less than 18 percent clay)
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 percent total fragments
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.5

2BC horizon
Hue - 2.5Y to 7.5YR dry or moist
Value - 5 to 8 dry and 4 to 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Textures - loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or loamy sand
Clay content - 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones, 0 to 30 percent total fragments
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.5

2C horizons (absent in some pedons)
Hue - 5YR to 2.5Y dry or moist
Value - 5 to 8 dry and 4 to 7 moist
Chroma - 2 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture - loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand
Clay content - 2 to 24 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 30 percent gravel
Reaction - 5.1 to 6.0

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mushel soils are on mountain slopes and ridges at elevations of 1,600 to 5,000 feet (488 to 1524 meters) with slopes of 5 to 75 percent. These soils are formed in residuum and/or colluvium from granite or metamorphic rocks with a thin volcanic ash mantle. The average annual temperature is 38 to 46 degrees F. and the average precipitation is 30 to 60 inches (762 to 1524 mm). The frost free season is 50 to 120 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brodeer, Brequito, and Bouldercreek series. Brodeer soils are on concave mountain side slopes and have a thick volcanic ash mantle. Brequito soils are on smooth mountain side slopes and have greater than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Bouldercreek soils are on steep concave north-facing mountain side slopes and are loamy-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained, moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed, and recreation. Potential natural vegetation is western red cedar, grand fir, western larch, western white pine, Douglas- fir, and ponderosa pine, with an understory of queencup beadlily, coolwort foamflower, princes pine, western goldthread, bunchberry dogwood, and fools huckelberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Idaho. Mushel soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 43A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clearwater County, Idaho, 2003.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from 3 to 6 inches (A horizon).

Cambic horizon - The zone from 6 to 13 inches (Bw horizon).

Andic soil properties - The zone from 3 to 13 inches (A and Bw horizons).

Argillic horizon - The zone from 13 to 39 inches (2B/E, 2Bt1, and 3Bt2 horizons).

Particle size control section - The zone from 13 to 33 inches (the 2B/E, 2Bt1 and part of the 3Bt2 horizons).

Ranges in the "Range in Characteristics" section for Bulk density, volcanic glass content, acid-oxalate, phosphate retention and 15 bar water retention are estimates only.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available for this series: Reference sample S92ID-035-029 (92P967) (this pedon) from Clearwater County, Idaho; 9/92 by NSSL, Lincoln, NE.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.