LOCATION NINT WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nint ashy stony loam - rangeland, on a 50 percent north-facing slope at an elevation of 2,250 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stony ashy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 3 percent surface stones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
BAt--9 to 13 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure and moderate fine and medium granular; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; common faint pressure faces on peds and few faint clay bridging in pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 13 inches thick)
Bt1--13 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; many distinct pressure faces on peds and common faint clay bridging in pores; 40 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--19 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; many distinct pressure faces on ped and many faint clay bridging in pores; 45 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bt3--28 to 38 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; many distinct pressure faces on peds, few pockets of prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds and common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) clay films lining pores; 45 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 8 to 20 inches)
2R--38 inches; fractured basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 7 miles south of Ellensburg, about 1,980 feet north and 380 feet east of the southwest corner of section 15, T. 16 N., R. 18 E.; USGS The Cottonwoods, Washington topographic quadrangle; Latitude - 46 degrees, 52 minutes, 29 seconds N. and Longitude - 120 degrees, 34 minutes, 13 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 all parts of the moisture control section for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 35 inches thick and includes all or part of the argillic horizon. The upper 7 to 13 inches has an estimated bulk density of 1.10 to 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter, volcanic glass content of 7 to 25 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 0.7 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section has 27 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent rock fragments by volume. Organic matter is estimated to range from 3 to 5 percent in the A horizon. Solum thickness and depth to the lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry and chroma of 1 or 2, dry or moist. Texture is gravelly ashy loam or stony ashy loam.
The BAt horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. Texture is gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay loam.[SW2]
The Bt horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 to 4, dry or moist. Texture is very gravelly clay loam, extremely gravelly clay loam or extremely cobbly clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ackna (T),
Blint,
Brysill (T),
Bunselmeier,
Cubhill,
Hehe,
Lainand,
Leidl,
McDaniel,
Millhouse (T),
Norod, and
Skooker soils.
Ackna soils very deep to bedrock; less than 15 percent rock fragments in the upper part of the argillic horizon; are 40 to 60 inches to an extremely gravelly loamy sand 4C horizon.
Blint soils dry 100 to 120 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Brysill soils very deep to bedrock; an aridic soil moisture regime
Bunselmeier soils very deep to bedrock; 40 to 60 inches to cinders with 5 percent fines filling interstices
Cubhill soils very deep to bedrock; an argillic horizon and solum depth extending to a depth of 60 inches or more; a particle-size control section dominated with rock fragments of glacial till origin
Hehe soils 20 to 40 inches to paralithic contact (andesite); mollic epipedon 10 to 20 inches thick
Lainand soils dry 90 to 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice; 40 to more than 60 inches to lithic contact
Leidl soils mollic epipedon 10 to 18 inches thick; 2.5YR to 7.5 YR hue in upper part of argillic horizon
McDaniel soils very deep to bedrock
Millhouse soils very deep to bedrock; dry 100 to 120 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Norod soils dry 100 to 120 consecutive days following the summer solstice; depth to secondary carbonates is 25 to 38 inches
Skooker soils 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact (sandstone)
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nint soils are on canyon walls, [SW3]hillslopes, dissected plateaus and piedmont slopes. Slopes are 0 to 75 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and some residuum from basaltwith an influence of loess and volcanic ash in the surface. Elevations are 2,000 to 3,600 feet. These soils are in a semiarid climate with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 18 [SW4]inches. The average January temperature is 25 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 69 degrees F. The mean annual air temperature is 46 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free season is 110 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing McDaniel soils and the Laufer, Shinn and Shushuskin soils. McDaniel soils are on hillslopes and canyon walls. Laufer soils are on canyon walls and are 10 to 20 inches to lithic contact. Shinn soils are on broad ridges and are 4 to 10 inches to lithic contact. Shushuskin soils are on hillslopes, dissected platteaus and piedmont slopes and have less than 15 percent rock fragments by volume.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass and threetip sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kittitas County, Washington, MLRA 8. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1997. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon (pachic) - the zone from 0 to 28 inches (A, BAt, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons) with 28 to 38 inches having mollic colors but less than 1 percent organic matter.
Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 38 inches (BAt and Bt horizons)
Particle Size Control Section - the zone from 9 to 29 inches (BAt, Bt1, Bt2 and part of the Bt3horizons)
Vitrandic feature - the zone from 0 to 9 inches (A horizon)