LOCATION NITZEL WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nitzel ashy [SW2]silt loam- irrigated cropland, on a nearly level slope at an elevation of 1,720 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy [SW3]silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure parting to moderate medium granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine pores; NaF pH 8.5; [SW4]neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary.
Ap2--4 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy [SW5]silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; common very fine pores; NaF pH 8.5; [SW6]neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined Ap horizon is 7 to 10 inches thick)
AB--8 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy [SW7]loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few medium vesicular pores; NaF pH 8.8; [SW8]neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--16 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy [SW9]loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; NaF pH 8.8; [SW10]neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
2[SW11]Bw2--29 to 46 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; [SW12]moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; NaF pH 8.6[SW13]; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bw1 and Bw2 horizons are 33 to 40 inches thick)
2Bw3[SW14]--46 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) iron accumulations; NaF pH 8.5; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 5 miles south of East Kittitas, about 2,550 feet south and 300 feet east of the northwest corner of section 5, T. 16 N., R. 20 E.; USGS East Kittitas, Washington topographic quadrangle; Latitude - 46 degrees, 54 minutes, 18 seconds N. and Longitude - 120 degrees, 21 minutes, 36 seconds W. (NAD83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 to 54 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 90 to 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to an irrigation-induced water table ranges from 30 to 48 inches. The particle-size control section has 18 to 30 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. The depth to the 2Bw3 horizon is 40 and 60 inches. Base saturation is more than 75 percent. The mollic epipedon is more than 40 inches thick and has 1 to 4 percent organic matter. The upper 20 to 30 inches has 0.25 to 0.4 percent Alox plus Feox and 15 to 25 percent volcanic glass.
The Ap horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. Moist bulk density is 1.10 to 1.30 grams per cubic centimeter. Reaction is neutral or slightly acid.[SW15]
The AB horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. Texture is ashy clay loam[SW16] or ashy silt loam with 18 to 27 percent clay.
The Bw1 and 2Bw2 horizons have value 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3, dry or moist. Texture of the Bw1 horizon is ashy loam or ashy silt loam with 18 to 27 percent clay. Texture of the 2Bw3 horizon is clay loam, loam or silt loam with 18 to 30 percent clay.
The 2Bw3 horizon has value 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 3 or 4, dry or moist. Texture is sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam with 14 to 18 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Orting series.
Orting soils have high chroma redox features at a depth of 10 to 20 inches and somewhat poorly drained.
Soils with a similar mixed mineralogy are the
Nanum and
Nitcha (T) series.
Nanum soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice; have aquic conditions within a depth of 20 to 30 inches.
Nitcha soils lack redox features and aquic conditions above a depth of 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nitzel soils are on bottomlands and have slopes of 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in alluvium over flood deposits with volcanic ash and loess mixed in the upper part. Elevations are 1,400 to 2,400 [SW17]feet. These soils are in a semiarid climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The average January temperature is about 25 degrees F. and the average July temperature is about 69 degrees F. The mean annual air temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F.. The frost-free season is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mitta, Nanum and Tanaha series. Mitta soils are on bottomlands and terraces and have 1 to 10 percent exchangeable sodium. Nanum soils are on alluvial fans and terraces, are 20 to 40 inches to an extremely gravelly 2Btg horizon. Tanaha soils are on bottomlands and are 20 to 40 inches to a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. This soil has an irrigation-induced water table with its uppermost limit occuring during the mid-May to mid-October growing season. Occasional flooding for brief periods occur from January through May.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated crop production and livestock grazing. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Wyoming sagebrush and bitterbrush. When irrigated, hay, oats, wheat, corn, potatoes, and peas are among the crops grown.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington, MLRA 8, 44. The soil is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, l990. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon (pachic) - the zone from 0 to 60 inches (all horizons)
Vitrandic feature the zone from 0 to 29 inches
Isotic mineralogy the zone from 0 to 46 inches based on lab data of the type location pedon. Without lab data to determine mineralogy, the convention would have been to assign a mixed mineralogy based on associated soils (ash influence and rangeland)
PSCS - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the AB, Bw1, and most of the 2Bw2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data available for this pedon, sample # S92WA037005, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.