LOCATION NIMS WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nims silt loam - cultivated on a 3 percent west facing slope at an elevation of 2,230 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; very fine irregular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
A--7 to 15 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--15 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bk--19 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and many very fine and fine tubular pores; few coatings of secondary lime lining pores; 10 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2Bqkl--26 to 29 inches; white (10YR 8/2) very cobbly loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; discontinuous lenses that are cemented with lime and silica and are 1/16 inch thick; 25 percent pebble-size indurated durinodes and lime-silica coated basalt pebbles and 15 percent lime-silica coated basalt cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
2Bqk2--29 to 35 inches; white (10YR 8/2) very gravelly loam; light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 25 percent pebble size indurated durinodes and lime-silica coated basalt pebbles and 10 percent lime-silica coated basalt cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
3R--35 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Asotin County, Washington; about 3 miles southwest of Asotin; 100 feet south and 150 feet east of northwest corner of sec. 5, T. 9 N., R. 46 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the Calcic horizon is 13 to 26 inches. A lithic contact is at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 53 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches for 90 to 105 consecutive days following summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 25 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and is 10 to 35 percent rock fragments including indurated durinodes. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 20 inches thick.
The A1 horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline. It is silt loam or gravelly silt loam.
The 2Bqk horizon has value of 6 through 8 dry, 5 through 7 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist. It is very gravelly loam, very cobbly loam or gravelly loam. The coarse fragments include 20 to 50 percent lime-silica indurated durinodes and lime-silica coated basalt fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Almota, Bickleton, Highland and Lebec series. Almota soils lack a 2Bkq horizon with 20 to 50 percent indurated durinodes. Bickleton and Highland soils are more than 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Lebec soils are calcareous throughout and lack durinodes in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nims soils are on basalt plateaus. Slopes are 3 to 30 percent. These soils formed in loess and slope alluvium from weathered basalt. Elevations range from 1,200 to 2,700 feet. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 15 inches. Mean annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F. Frost-free season is 135 to 155 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: They are the Bolicker, Oliphant, Spofford, and Weissenfels soils. Bolicker, Oliphant and Spofford soils have lithic contact at a depth of greater than 40 inches. Weissenfels soils have a natric horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland. Native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass and arrowleaf balsamroot.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT; Southeastern Washington. The series in of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED; Asotin County, Washington 1984.
REMARKS: Partial laboratory data are available--sample No. S58Wash21. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are mollic epipedon from the surface to 19 inches, a calcic horizon from 19 to 35 inches, and a lithic contact at 35 inches. Soil Taxonomy does not recognize durinodes in Typic Haploxerolls, nor Calcic Haploxerolls. This soil would be in a duric subgroup if such were provided in Soil Taxonomy.