LOCATION PATRON WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Vitrandic Palexerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Patron gravelly ashy silt loam- rangeland on a 22 percent northwest-facing slope at 3,080 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly ashy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine irregular pores: 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
AB--3 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly ashy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, and few fine roots; many very fine irregular pores: 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
2Bt1--12 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and few coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores: common distinct clay films on faces of peds and pressure faces on peds; 20 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0) clear wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
2Bt2--23 to 35 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and pressure faces on peds; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
2Bt3--35 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and pressure faces on peds; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington, about 300 feet east, and 2,400 feet north of the southeast corner of section 28, T. 16 N., R. 21 E., USGS McDonald Spring topographic quadrangle, (Latitude 46 degrees 50 minutes, 41 seconds N, Longitude 120 degrees 11 minutes 33 secondsW)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts for 70 to 100 days after the summer solstice. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 20 to 30 inches. The upper 7 to 14 inches has estimated bulk density of 1.10 to 1.30 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 10 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half 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 averages 35 to 40 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments by volume. Organic matter is estimated to range from 1 to 3 percent. Depth to secondary carbonates is 42 to more than 60 inches. There is an absolute increase in clay of 15 to 20 percent between the AB and 2Bt1 horizon.
The A and AB horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1, 2 or 3, dry or moist. It is ashy silt loam, ashy loam, gravelly ashy silt loam or cobbly ashy loam with 10 to 25 percent clay.
The 2Bt horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. The upper part is clay loam, clay, gravelly clay, gravelly silty clay loam, or gravelly clay loam with 35 to 45 percent clay. The lower part is very gravelly clay loam, very cobbly clay and extremely gravelly clay with 35 to 50 percent clay. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
Some pedons have a 2Btk horizons below 42 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Fawnspring series. Fawnspring soils have 50 to 60 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Patron soils are on hillslopes and have slopes of 5 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from basalt and loess influenced with volcanic ash in the surface. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Elevations are 1,900 to 3,400 feet. These soils are in a semiarid climate with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The mean January temperature is about 25 degrees F. and the mean July temperature is about 69 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free season is 80 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Camaspatch and Tanksel soils. Camaspatch soils are on ridges and plateaus and are clayey-skeletal and 12 to 20 inches to bedrock. Tanksel soils are on hillslopes and are clayey-skeletal and 20 to 40 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to very rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, cusick bluegrass, and threetip sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kittitas County, Washington; MLRA 8. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, Yakima Training Center, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
mollic epipedon the zone from the surface to 23 inches
argillic horizon the zone from 12 inches to 60 inches
vitrandic feature the zone from 0 to 12 inches
particle-size control section the zone from 12 to 32 inches (upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon).