LOCATION MYSTICLAKE WA
Established Series
IRD. TMR/MPR
07/2017
MYSTICLAKE SERIES
Landscape--Cascade Mountains
Landform--cirques, debris aprons, glacial valley walls
Slope--0 to 35 percent
Parent material--volcanic ash over colluvium
Mean annual precipitation--about 2200 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 3 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--somewhat poorly drained
Soil moisture regime--aquic
Soil temperature regime--cryic
Soil moisture subclass--typic
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, glassy, acid Typic Cryaquands
TYPICAL PEDON: Mysticlake medial sandy loam on a west-facing, forested debris apron with a slope of 20 percent and at an elevation of 1625 m (When described on September 26th, 2013, the soil was moist throughout.)
Oi--0 to 1 cm; slightly decomposed plant material from deciduous shrubs, conifer needles, and twigs; many fine interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt smooth boundary
Oe--1 to 3 cm; moderately decomposed plant material; common very fine and fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); abrupt smooth boundary
A1--3 to 6 cm; medial sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary
A2--6 to 20 cm; medial sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt irregular boundary
Bw--20 to 32 cm; paragravelly medial coarse sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium and common very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt irregular boundary
Bg1--32 to 48 cm; medial fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent medium irregular dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 40 percent medium irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary
Bg2--48 to 70 cm; medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 10 percent medium irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary
Bg3--70 to 120 cm; medial fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent medium irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 25 percent medium irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 10 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual wavy boundary
2Bg4--120 to 150 cm; gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent medium irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 25 percent medium irregular strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 15 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4)
TYPE LOCATION: Pierce County, Washington, about 5 km southwest of the White River Ranger Station, in the Owyhigh Lakes basin in Mount Rainier National Park; about 730 m south and 640 m east of the northwest corner of section 20, T. 16 N., R. 10 E., Willamette Meridian; Chinook Pass, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle; latitude 46.863729 degrees north, longitude -121.584214 degrees west, datum WGS 84 (coordinates determined with a GPS)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--3 to 6 degrees C
Depth to lithologic discontinuity--80 to 130 cm
Depth to redoximorphic iron depletions--25 to 50 cm below the mineral soil surface
Pararock and rock fragments--pumice paragravel typically in upper part of profile, andesite gravel and cobbles may be in lower part of profile
All mineral horizons
*Volcanic glass content--50 to 75 percent
*Ammonium oxalate Al plus 1/2 Fe--greater than 0.5 percent
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
Particle-size control section
*Clay content--1 to 10 percent
*Rock fragment content--5 to 35 percent total
O horizon
*In lieu of texture--slightly decomposed plant material, moderately decomposed plant material
*Combined thickness--3 to 10 cm
A horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry
*Chroma--1 to 3 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--medial sandy loam, medial loamy sand
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 15 percent pumice paragravel
*Combined thickness--15 to 25 cm
Bw horizon
*Hue--7.5YR, 10YR
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--medial coarse sandy loam, medial fine sandy loam, medial loamy sand
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 25 percent pumice paragravel
*Thickness--10 to 20 cm
Bg horizon
*Hue--7.5YR, 10YR
*Value--3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--medial fine sandy loam, medial sandy loam, medial loamy sand
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 25 percent pumice paragravel
*Combined thickness--60 to 90 cm
2Bg4 horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Fine-earth texture--medial sandy loam, medial loam, medial coarse sandy loam
*Rock fragment content--15 to 45 percent total, including 10 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones
COMPETING SERIES:
Wahpenayo--lithic contact within 100 cm of the soil surface
Williwakas--aquic conditions within 25 cm of the mineral soil surface
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--1000 to 2000 m
Climate--cool, dry summers; cold, wet winters
Mean annual precipitation--1700 to 2800 mm
Mean annual air temperature--2 to 5 degrees C
Frost-free period--30 to 60 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Ipsut--no aquic conditions; lithic contact within 50 cm of the surface (shallow); on similar landforms with steeper slopes and Rock outcrop near the surface
Owyhigh--no aquic conditions; lithic contact within 100 cm of the surface (moderately deep); on similar landforms with steeper slopes and Rock outcrop near the surface
Tipsoo--albic and spodic horizons; no aquic conditions; on similar landforms with steeper slopes
Unicornpeak--aquic conditions between 50 and 75 cm from the mineral soil surface; on similar landforms with steeper slopes
Summerland--umbric epipedon; no aquic conditions; associated with deciduous forests in active avalanche paths
Burroughs,
Littletahoma,
Tatoosh--umbric epipedon; no aquic conditions; associated with subalpine meadows on similar landforms
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--somewhat poorly drained
Saturation in normal years--below 25 to 50 cm in April through June, below 100 to 180 cm in August through December
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--high or very high throughout
USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat, recreation
Potential natural vegetation--subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, Pacific silver fir, Alaska yellow-cedar, Engelmann spruce, Cascade azalea, black huckleberry, false azalea, five-leaved bramble, dwarf bramble, smooth woodrush, one-sided wintergreen, Sitka valerian, Sitka mountain ash
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Cascade Mountains, Washington; MLRA 3; moderate extent
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington; 2014; name from Mystic Lake in Mount Rainier National Park
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon
*Particle-size control section--zone from 3 to 103 cm
*Ochric epipedon
*Cambic horizon--zone from 3 to 70 cm
*Andic soil properties--zone from 3 to 150 cm
*Redoximorphic iron depletions with chroma of 2 or less--zone from 32 to 150 cm
*Redoximorphic iron concentrations--zone from 32 to 150 cm
*Depth to lithologic discontinuity--120 cm
*Distinguishable tephra layers--Mount St. Helens Wn tephra (A2 horizon), Mount Rainier C tephra (Bw horizon), Mount St. Helens P set tephra (Bg1 horizon), Mount St. Helens Yn tephra (Bg2 horizon), Mount Rainier F tephra (Bg3 horizon)
3/2017--This official series description was updated according to SSR1 Technical Note 11--Content and Format of Official Series Descriptions (revised 12/2015). Most of the changes were in formatting; no major technical changes were made.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.