LOCATION OLDBUTTE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Oldbutte silt loam - grassland on a 60 percent slope at an elevation of 2,600 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist, weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary.
A2--4 to 17 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 15 to 20 inches)
BAt--17 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine irregular pores; common patchy faint clay skins on faces of peds and in pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 12 inches thick)
Bt--28 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine and very fine irregular pores; common patchy faint clay skins on faces of peds and in pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6)(; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C--36 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam with pockets of partially decomposed sandstone; dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few medium tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; about 3 1/2 miles north of Cashmere, 1,400 feet west and 1,200 feet north of southeast corner sec. 16, T. 24 N., R. 19 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 44 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts in the moisture control section for 60 to 75 days following summer solstice. the mollic epipedon is 20 to 30 inches thick. The particle-size control section averages 25 to 35 percent clay, 0 to 5 percent rock fragments. Reaction is neutral to mildly alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry.
The BAt and Bt horizons have value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist. Texture is clay loam or silty clay loam.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, chroma of 2 or 3 dry and 3 or 4 moist. Texture is loam or clay loam and contains pockets of weathered sandstone pebbles and cobblestones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bauscher, Brinegar, Bringmee, De Masters, Pinehurst, Said, and Watchabob series. Bauscher soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days. Bringmee soils contain a significant amount of volcanic ash in the upper part of the control section. De Masters soils are more than 35 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Brinegar soils are mottled at 30 to 45 inches and have a water table within 30 inches in early spring. Pinehurst soils are moderately acid or strongly acid in the argillic horizon. Said soils have a hue of 5YR or 7.5YR and are 20 to 30 percent hard rock fragments in the argillic horizon. Watchabob soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Oldbutte soils are on mountainsides that generally have a northerly aspect. Slopes are 3 to 65 percent. These soils formed in weathered sandstone mixed with loess in the surface. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 18 to 22 inches. The average January temperature is 23 degrees F., the average July temperature is 68 degrees F., and average annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nard and Yaxon soils. Nard soils have an ochric epipedon. Yaxon soils are dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days and have a soil temperature of 49 to 52 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hay, pasture, livestock grazing, timber production, wildlife habitat, watershed, recreation, and homesite development. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine, with an understory of bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, arrowleaf balsamroot, rose, common snowberry, and Saskatoon serviceberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Chelan County, Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Chelan County, Washington, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from surface to 28 inches and an argillic horizon from 17 to 36 inches. Base saturation (sum of cations) is estimated to be less than 75 percent in some part of the upper 30 inches.