LOCATION NARDINE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, frigid Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Nardine loam - forest, on a 1 percent southwest facing slope at 2,900 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
Oi--1 inch to 0; undecomposed forest litter of needles and twigs.
E--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine tubular and irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
E/B--4 to 17 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2 E part) and brown (10YR 5/3 B part) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2 E part) and dark brown (10YR 4/3 B part) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots; few fine tubular and common fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--17 to 35 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium prismatic parting to strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular and common fine irregular pores; many distinct clay films on face of peds and few faint clay films in pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
Bt2--35 to 42 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist, few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on face of peds and in pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt3--42 to 50 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist, common fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular and common fine irregular pores; common distinct clay films on face of peds and in pores; 5 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
BC--50 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist, many fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular and many fine irregular pores; few faint clay films on face of peds; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; near Camas Land, about 6 miles southwest of Cashmere; 2,000 feet south and 750 feet east of the northwest corner of section 22, T.23N., R.18E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days after the summer solstice. Mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 45 to 47 degrees F. The particle-size control section average 35 to 40 percent clay and 0 to 5 percent pebbles. Depth to mottles range from 30 to 36 inches.
The E horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
The Bt1 and Bt2 horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and 3 or 4 moist.
The Bt3 and BC horizons have value of 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is loam or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mal and Renha series. The Mal soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days and are strongly acid or very strongly acid throughout. Renha soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to limestone bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nardine soils are on areas near mountain meadows. These soils formed in alluvium mixed with loess in the surface. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevation is 2,600 to 3,000 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers, and cool, moist winter. The average annual precipitation is 18 to 28 inches, the average January temperature is about 24 degrees F, the average July temperature is about 64 degrees F, and the average annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cle Elum, Nard, and Varelum soils. The Cle Elum soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Nard soils have 25 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Varelum soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F and have 20 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, hay and pasture, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine, with an understory of common snowberry, white spirea, scouler willow and mulesears wyethia.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Cashmere Mt. Soil Survey, Chelan County, Washington, 1989.
SOURCE OF NAME: Coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are an albic horizon from 0 to 4 inches, an argillic horizon from 17 to 50 inches, with more than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section from 17 to 37 inches. The soil was previously named Nard Variant.