LOCATION NORTHPOINT WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, frigid Lithic Udivitrands
TYPICAL PEDON: Northpoint extremely gravelly medial sandy loam-forestland, on a 72 percent southwesterly aspect at an elevation of 2,790 feet in a western hemlock/salal-Oregon grape plant association. (When described on April 22, 1994, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Oe--1 to 2 inches; moderately decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (0.5 to 1 inch thick)
A--2 to 7 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 12 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bw2--12 to 17 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) extremely cobbly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 40 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
R--17 inches; fractured hard metavolcanic rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 3 1/3 miles north of Bigler Mountain, about 485 feet east and 2,025 feet north of the southwest corner of Section 21, T. 30 N., R. 11 W. (Latitude 48 degrees, 04 minutes, 50 seconds N., Longitude 124 degrees, 07 minutes, 54 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry 0 to 30 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section; udic moisture regime. Depth to bedrock is 10 to 20 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the bedrock contact has andic soil and 60 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. The andic soil material has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 3 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 12 to 25 percent for air dried samples. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 4 moist and 3 or 4 dry. Reaction is strongly or moderately acid. It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. It has 15 bar water of 15 to 25 percent. It has 5 to 10 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 4 or 6 moist and dry. It is extremely gravelly medial sandy loam or extremely cobbly medial sandy loam. It has 15 bar of 12 to 15 percent in a layer 6 to 12 inches thick (vitric). It has 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum. It has 1 to 7 percent organic matter.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ruprecht and the similar Dosewallips, Romanose, Waketickeh, and Walkinshaw series. Romanose soils have an umbric epipedon. Waketickeh soils have 15 bar water of over 15 percent thoughout. Walkinshaw soils have over 2 cmol/kg of aluminum (alic). Ruprecht soils are over sedimentary bedrock and are very shallow to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Northpoint soils are on glaciated mountain slopes and mountain headwalls. Slopes are 40 to 100 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 1,250 to 2,800 feet. Average annual precipitation is 85 to 100 inches. Average annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 140 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pistol, Stormking and Wyecreek soils. Pistol soils are moderately deep and moderately well drained. Wyecreek soils are moderately deep. Stormking soils are deep and very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, vine maple, salal, Oregon-grape, red huckleberry, violet, mosses, western swordfern, sweetscented bedstraw, and baldhip rose.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Clallam County, Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - 7 to 17 inches
Andic soil properties - 2 to 17 inches
Lithic contact - 17 inches
PSCS - 2 to 17 inches
The soil is assumed to have 15 bar water of less than 15 percent (air-dried samples) in 60 percent or more of its thickness. The soil is mapped in complex with Vitric Hapludands. All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.