LOCATION NOSSER WA
Established Series
Rev. HRG/BJG/KWH
10/2011
NOSSER SERIES
The Nosser series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in loess, slope alluvium and residuum weathered from basalt on hillslopes and dissected plateaus. Slopes are 3 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and mean annual air temperature is about 50 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Nosser gravelly loam - rangeland, on a 5 percent east-facing slope at an elevation of 1,620 feet. (When the soil was described on August 13, 1993, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bt1--3 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--10 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common fine and medium interstitial and tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizon is 14 to 24 inches thick)
2Btk--18 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; common fine and medium irregular pores; few faint clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; common fine and medium irregular silica durinodes; few fine irregular soft lime aggregates; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
3R--22 inches; fractured basalt with lime and silica coatings over 30 percent of total surface area.
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 3 miles southwest of Vantage, WA, about 2,300 feet north and 700 feet west of the southeast corner of section 34, T. 17 N., R. 22 E.; USGS Ginkgo topographic quadrangle; lat. 46 degrees 55 minutes 04 seconds N. and long. 120 degrees 03 minutes 08 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 50 to 56 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches following summer solstice and are moist during the winter and spring. The epipedon does not meet the organic carbon requirement for mollic although the color criteria is met. The particle-size control section averages 28 to 32 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 20 to 35 percent rock fragments by volume. Depth to a lithic contact with basalt ranges from 20 to 40 inches. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry.
The Bt horizons have value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist. The Bt2 is gravelly clay loam or clay loam.
The 2Btk horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist. It very cobbly or extremely gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam or extremely gravelly loam. It is slightly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Abgese,
Ackelton,
Ackley,
Blacknest,
Colbar, Esha (T),
Eusbio (T),
Greenbrae,
Hardtrigger,
Harsan,
Hoosegow,
Lankbush,
Morfitt (T),
Paulville,
Sevy,
Shawave,
Sidlake,
Stiles (T),
Turria,
Windypoint and
Zane series. Abgese, Ackelton, Ackley, Blacknest, Esha, Greenbrae, Hardtrigger, Harsan, Hoosegow, Lankbush, Morfitt, Paulville, Sevy, Shawave, Turria, Windypoint, and Zane soils are more than 40 inches to bedrock. Colbar soils lack a lithologic discontinuity in the argillic horizon, have pockets of loam in the fractured rhyolite and lack silica coatings. Eusbio and Stiles soils have a paralithic contact within 40 inches. Sidlake soils have less than 10 percent coarse fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nosser soils are on hillslopes, benches, and plateaus and have slopes of 3 to 30 percent. These soils formed in loess, slope alluvium and residuum weathered from basalt. Elevations are 1,200 to 2,000 feet. These soils are in a arid climate with hot, dry summers and cool moist winters. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 9 inches. The mean January temperature is 29 degrees F, the mean July temperature is 71 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 195 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Disage and
Nevo soils. Disage soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Nevo soils average more than 35 percent clay in the fine earth fraction.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Nosser soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kittitas County, Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, Yakima Training Center, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include: Ochric epipedon - 0 to 3 inches (A horizon) Argillic horizon - 3 to 22 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and 2Bkt3 horizons) Secondary carbonates - 18 to 22 inches (2Btk3 horizon) PSCS - 3 to 22 inches (Bt1, Bt2 and 2Bt3 horizons) Lithic Contact - 22 inches. This series is reclassified based on amendment 17 of Soil Taxonomy.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.