LOCATION NICMAR                  WA

Established Series
Rev. DWG/TDT
01/2011

NICMAR SERIES

The Nicmar series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in glacial till and colluvium from volcanic and sedimentary rock, with a component of volcanic ash in the upper part. Slopes are 15 to 65 percent. Average annual precipitation is about 22 inches and average annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Palexeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Nicmar ashy loam, on a south-facing 38 percent slope in a Douglas-fir and western larch forest. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)

Oe--0 to 1 inch; moderately decomposed needles, twigs, and leaves; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)

A--1 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

Bw--5 to 17 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common fine irregular pores; 12 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)

2Bt1--17 to 24 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) very cobbly clay loam, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.

2Bt2--24 to 34 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) very cobbly clay loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined 2Bt horizon is 14 to 30 inches thick.)

2BC--34 to 61 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) very gravelly sandy clay loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; massive structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Okanogan County, Washington; about 4 miles north of Bodie, Washington; about 500 feet south and 200 feet east of the northwest corner of section 10, T. 39 N. R. 31 E. (Latitude 48 degrees 53' 55" N., Longitude 118 degrees 54' 04" W.)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 75 days following the summer solstice. Thickness of the volcanic ash influence is 10 to 25 inches and has a moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.30 g/cc, volcanic ash content of 5 to 20 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 55 percent rock fragments that are subrounded and 20 to 35 percent clay. It is slightly acid or neutral.

The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.

The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is ashy loam or gravelly ashy loam. It has 0 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.

The 2Bt horizon has hue of 5Y, 2.5Y, or 10YR. It has value of 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is very cobbly clay loam or very cobbly sandy clay loam. It has 10 to 30 percent gravel, 10 to 40 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones. It has 20 to 40 percent clay. Base saturation is less than 75 percent in some part.

The 2BC horizon has 5Y, 2.5Y, 10YR, or 7.5YR. It has value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is very gravelly or gravelly sandy clay loam or clay loam. It has 15 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.

COMPETING SERIES: This are the Jumpmore and Snilec series. Jumpmore soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days and have 35 to 50 inches of precipitation. Snilec soils have rock fragments that are angular in shape..

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nicmar soils are found on lower backslopes and footslopes of mountains and have slopes of 15 to 65 percent. Elevations are from 2,200 to 5,000 feet. These soils formed in mixed till and colluvium from volcanic rock with a component of volcanic ash in the upper part. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 24 inches. The mean January temperature is 22 to 26 degrees F, the mean July temperature is 62 to 67 degrees F, and the mean annual air temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Baldknob, Borgeau, Johntom, and Thout soils. Baldknob, Johntom, and Thout soils are on shoulders and ridges. Baldknob and Johntom soils are 10 to 20 inches to bedrock, and Johntom soils are mesic. Thout soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Borgeau soils are on backslopes, are mesic, and lack clay accumulation in the subsoil.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, rapid to very rapid runoff; and moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western larch, and ponderosa pine with an understory of mallow ninebark, pinegrass, strawberry, heartleaf arnica, and shinyleaf spirea.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Washington. Series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Okanogan National Forest, Okanogan County, Washington, 2005.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Vitrandic properties - 1 to 17 inches
Cambic horizon - 5 to 17 inches
Argillic horizon - 17 to 61 inches
PSCS - 17 to 37 inches
Ultic subgroup requirement is assumed to be met.

This pedon also qualifies as a mollic subgroup, but many pedon do not and is thus not diagnostic for the series.

All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.