LOCATION NANUM WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nanum ashy loam - irrigated pasture, on a 3 percent southwest-facing slope at an elevation of 1,900 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) ashy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; NaF pH 8.6; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
A--8 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; NaF pH 8.6; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
AB1--15 to 21 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; NaF pH 8.6; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.
AB2--21 to 28 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; few fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron stains on faces of peds and in pores; few fine iron-manganese concretions with sharp boundaries; 5 percent gravel; NaF pH 8.6; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined AB horizon is 11 to 22 inches thick.)
2Bw1--28 to 35 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron concentrations in pores and stains on faces of ped and on rock fragments; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Bw2--35 to 48 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron concentrations in pores and stains on faces of peds and on rock fragments; 55 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2Bw3--48 to 60 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron concentrations on faces of peds, in pores and on rock fragments; 60 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington, about 4 miles north of Ellensburg; about 540 feet west and 2,430 feet north of the southeast corner of section 7, T. 18 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Colockum Pass SW, Washington topographic quadrangle; Latitude -. 47 degrees, 03 minutes, 55 seconds N. and Longitude - 120 degrees, 30 minutes, 00 seconds W. (NAD83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to the irrigation-induced water table and aquic conditions is 20 to 30 [r1]inches. The mollic epipedon is 30 to 60 inches thick. The upper 20 to 40 inches has an estimated bulk density of 1.15 to 1.40 grams per cubic centimeter, volcanic glass of 5 to 20 percent acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid oxalate iron of 0.20 to 0.7 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 15 to 20 percent for air dried samples. Base saturation throughout the upper 30 inches is greater than 75 percent. The particle-size control section has 27 to 35 percent clay by field texture and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. It has a weighted average of 15 to 33 percent rock fragments by volume. Depth to a very gravelly 2Bw horizon is 20 to 40 inches. Organic matter is estimated to be 2 to 5 percent in the Ap and A horizons.
The Ap horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 1 or 2, dry or moist. Texture is ashy loam or ashy sandy clay loam. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 1 or 2, dry or moist. Texture is ashy clay loam, ashy loam or ashy sandy clay loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The AB horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. Texture is ashy clay loam, ashy sandy clay loam or ashy sandy clay. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Bw horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. The upper part is very gravelly clay, very gravelly clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly sandy clay. The lower part is very gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam or extremely gravelly clay loam. It is neutral through moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Nitcha (T) series. Nitcha soils are dry to 90 to 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice and do not have aquic conditions within 12 to 30 inches. Similar soils with isotic mineralogy are the Louella and Nitzel (T) soils. Louella soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days and lack aquic conditions within 12 to 30 inches. Nitzel soils are dry for 90 to 100 consecutive days and have a 2Bg horizon at a depth of 40 to 60 inches with redox concentrations.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nanum soils are on alluvial fans and terraces and have slopes of 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in alluvium with an influence of volcanic ash in the surface. Elevations are 1,400 to 2,500 feet. These soils are in a semiarid climate 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 air temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free season is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brickmill, Deedale, Nack and Mitta soils. Brickmill and Nack soils are on alluvial fans and have more than 35 percent rock fragments by volume in the particle-size control section. Deedale soils are on flood plains and have more than 40 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Mitta soils are on flood plains, fan aprons, fan skirts and inset fans and have SAR of 1 to 10 in the Ap and A1 horizons and lack a very gravelly and extremely gravelly 2Bw horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained;[r2] slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. This soil is irrigated and drained. This soil has an irrigation-induced water table with its uppermost limit occurring some time between the mid-May to mid-October growing season. This soil typically is not subject to flooding although some areas may have occasional flooding for brief periods from January to April.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated cropland production and livestock grazing. When irrigated, hay, oats, wheat, corn, potatoes, and peas are among the crops grown.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kittitas County, Washington; MLRA 8, 44. The soil is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, l936.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon (pachic) - the zone from 0 to 60 inches (all horizons assuming organic carbon greater than 0.6 percent throughout the 2Bw)
Vitrandic feature - the zone from 0 to 28 inches (Ap, A and AB horizons)
PSCS - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of A, AB, 2Bw1 and part of 2Bw2 horizons)
Aquic feature - aquic conditions at a depth of 21 inches with chroma of 2 and associated redox concentrations.