LOCATION NACK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Palexerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nack ashy loam- irrigated pasture, on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 1,590 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure parting to weak fine granular; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slight effervescence, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
Btk1--6 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine faint white (10YR 8/1) seams of calcium carbonate; few faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent grave;; strong effervescence, moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.
Btk2--12 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores and few fine continuous tubular pores; common distinct white (10YR 8/1) carbonate in pores and on faces of peds; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; slight effervescence, moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined Btk horizon is 6 to 12 inches thick)
2Bt1--15 to 39 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay; dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular and few fine irregular pores; many distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay films on sand and rock fragments; few fine distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; 55 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (16 to 26 inches thick)
2Bt2--39 to 60 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam; massive structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few fine irregular pores; many distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) clay films on sand and gravel; dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; common coarse distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redoximorphic concentrations; 55 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 1 mile east of Ellensburg, WA., 2,250 feet north, 600 feet east of the southwest corner of section 5, T. 17 N., R. 19 E.; latitude 46 degrees 59 minutes 31 seconds N., longitude 120 degrees 29 minutes 40 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 54 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 90 to 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to the uppermost limit of the irrigation-induced water table is 12 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section has 25 to 35 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 35 to 50 percent rock fragments by volume. The depth to a 2Bt ranges from 12 and 20 inches. Thickness of mollic epipedon is more than 60 inches.
The Ap horizon has value of 3 to 4 dry, and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is ashy L, cobbly ashy L, or gravelly ashy L. It has 0.25 to 0.4 percent Alox plus Feox, 15 to 25 percent volcanic glass, and moist bulk density of 1.15 to 1.4 g/cc. Organic matter is estimated to range from 2 to 4 percent.
The Btk horizon has value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. Texture is clay loam, sandy clay loam, or gravelly sandy clay loam. Reaction is moderately or strongly alkaline. Organic matter is estimated to range from 1 to 2 percent.
The 2Bt horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. Texture is extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay, or extremely cobbly sandy clay loam. Reaction is slightly or moderately alkaline. Redoximorphic concentrations with chroma of 6 or 8 range from few to many.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nack soils are on alluvial fans and have slopes of 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in alluvium over flood deposits. Elevation is 1,400 to 2,500 feet. Climate is semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The average January temperature is about 25 degrees F. and the average July temperature is about 69 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is about 48 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brickmill, Mitta, Nanum and Opnish soils. Brickmill soils are piedmont slopes and have cambic horizon. Mitta soils are on bottomlands and terraces, are 40 to 60 inches to a 2Btg horizon, and have from 1 to 10 percent exchangeable sodium (SAR). Nanum and Opnish soils are on alluvial fans, and have less than 30 percent coarse fragments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. This soil has an irrigation-induced water table with its uppermost limit occurring some time between the mid-May to mid-October growing season.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for irrigated crop production and livestock grazing. Native vegetation is greasewood and saltgrass. When irrigated, hay, oats, wheat, corn, potatoes, and peas are among the crops grown.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington. The soil is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, Yakima Training Center, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon (pachic) - 0 to 60 inches (Ap, Btk1, Btk2, 2Btg3 and 2Btg4 horizons)
Argillic horizon - 6 to 60 inches (Btk1, Btk2, 2Bt1, and 2Bt2 horizons)
Pale feature - clay content does not decrease by as much as 20 percent within 60 inches and presence of redox concentrations with hue of 5YR.
Vitrandic feature the zone from 0 to 6 inches
Oxyaquic feature the zone from 15 to 60 inches with saturation for more than 30 days (cumulative) most years, if not artificially drained.
PSCS - the zone from 6 to 26 inches (the Btk horizon and part of the 2Bt1 subhorizon).