LOCATION NARD WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Nard ashy loam - under Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forest on a 35 percent convex south-facing slope at an elevation of 2,525 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described the soil was moist in the subsoil)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles and twigs. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A--1 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; NaF pH 9.0; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
E--4 to 12 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 9.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
E/Bt--12 to 24 inches; about 65 percent (E part) very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; about 35 percent (Bt part) light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; few faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
Bt--24 to 34 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots between peds; common very fine irregular and tubular inped pores and very few fine irregular and tubular pores in coarse prism faces; common distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on ped faces and in pores; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)
Btx1--34 to 51 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; very coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, firm and brittle, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and coarse roots between peds; common very fine irregular and tubular inped pores and few very fine irregular and tubular pores in very coarse prism faces; common distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films in pores and on ped faces and many prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on coarse prism faces; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) patches of skeletans on vertical faces of coarse prisms; NaF pH 8.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 14 inches)
Btx2--51 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm and brittle, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots between peds; common very fine irregular and tubular inped pores and few fine irregular and tubular pores in ped faces; common faint and distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay films in pores and on ped faces; few distinct light gray (10YR 7/2) patches of skeletans on ped faces; NaF pH 8.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 8 miles northeast of Cle Elum and 3 miles north on Story Creek Road, 1,350 feet east and 2,200 feet north of the southwest corner of section 28, T. 21 N., R. 16 E.; USGS Redtop Mountain, Washington topographic quadrangle; Latitude - 47 degrees, 16 minutes, 48 seconds N. and Longitude - 120 degrees, 50 minutes, 43 seconds W. (NAD83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 45 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts in the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days or more following summer solstice. Depth to a perched water table is 20 to 36 inches. Saturated conditions are estimated to last for 30 or more cumulative days from January through March. The upper 7 to 14 inches has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.30 [SW3]grams per cubic centimeter, volcanic glass content of 7 to 25 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 0.4 to 0.7 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent (air dried sample). The particle-size control section has 18 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 55 percent sand coarser than very fine sand, and 0 to 10 percent unweathered rock fragments. Depth to the Btx horizon is 25 to 40 inches. Base saturation is assumed to be less than 75 percent in the Bt horizon. The solum thickness and depth to bedrock ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches.[SW4]
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 1 to 3, dry or moist. Reaction is neutral to moderately acid.[SW5]
The E and E part of the E/Bt horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 moist. Texture of the E horizon is ashy loam or ashy silt lo[SW6]am. Reaction is neutral to moderately acid.
The Bt part of the E/Bt horizon has a value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4, dry or moist. Texture is clay loam, silt loam, loam, or sandy loam[SW7]. Reaction is neutral to [SW8]moderately acid.
The Bt and Btx horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 6, dry or moist. Texture is clay loam, gravelly clay loam, silty clay loam, loam, or sandy clay [SW9]loam below the upper 20 inches. Fragic properties are estimated to make up less than 30 percent by volume. Reaction is neutral to strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Eaglelake, Ketchly, Kruse, McEwen, Nahahum, Neuske, and Panak series.
Eaglelake soils are dry for more than 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice; do not have an albic or glossic horizon; well drained
Ketchly soils umbric epipedon 10 to 20 inches thick; do not have an albic or glossic horizon; well drained
Kruse soils do not have an albic or glossic horizon; well drained
McEwen soils are 40 to 60 inches to stratified GRV and GRX alluvial materials; do not have and albic or glossic horizon; well drained
Nahahum soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the pscs; do not have glossic horizons; well drained
Neuske soils have 5 to 15 percent rock fragments in the pscs; base saturation of more than 75 percent in the upper part of the solum; well drained
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nard soils are on north-facing hillslopes, foothills, dipslopes, mountains and terraces. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. Nard soils formed in residuum and colluvium from Roslyn and Swauk sandstone and old alluvium with an influence of volcanic ash and loess in the surface. Elevations are 1,400 to 4,500 feet. The soils are in a semiarid climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 40 inches. The average January temperature is about 24 degrees F. and the average July temperature is about 64 degrees F. The mean annual air temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 145 to 175 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ampad, Blag, Blewett, Brisky, Cle Elum, Kafing, Shaser, and Standup soils. Ampad soils are coarse-loamy and 20 to 40 inches to soft sandstone and located on cuestas and back slopes. Blag, Blewett and Brisky soils have lithic contact at a depth of 10 to 20 inches and are on mountain side slopes and ridges. Cle Elum soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock and are on foothills and mountain side slopes. Kafing soils lack an argillic horizon, have a solum thickness of 22 to 32 inches, and are on mountain side slopes. Shaser and Standup soils are loamy-skeletal and are on mountain side slopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability. This soil has a perched water table at its uppermost limit some time from January through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, recreation, wildlife habitat and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and grand fir with an understory of pinegrass, rose, spirea, pachystima, vetch, serviceberry, lupine, Oregon-grape, common snowberry, elk sedge, huckleberry, hazel, princes pine, and creambush oceanspray.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Kittitas and Chelan Counties; MLRA 6. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chelan County, Washington, 1969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 1 to 4 inches (A horizon)
Albic horizon - the zone from 4 to 12 inches (E horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 12 to 50 inches (Bt part of E/Bt horizon and Bt and Btx horizons)
Glossic horizon - the zone from 12 to 24 inches (E/Bt horizon)
Vitrandic feature - the zone from 1 to 12 inches
Ultic feature - the zone from 12 to 42 inches having a base saturation of 50 to 75 percent
Oxyaquic feature - aquic conditions within a depth of 40 inches from January through March
PSCS - the zone from 12 to 32 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available for this pedon NSSL sample number S87WA-007-001. 750. W.S.U. lab samples numbered 575 WA-037-8-4,5,6 of a similar pedon indicate the base saturation is 50 to 60 percent in the B2t horizon.