LOCATION PILEUP WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Andic Haplocryalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Pileup ashy sandy loam - forestland, on a 28 percent east-facing slope at 3,200 feet elevation. (When described on 11/3/92 the profile was moist throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed forest litter with a small amount of 1980 Mt. St. Helens volcanic ash; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A1--2 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); NaF pH 10.1; abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--5 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); NaF pH 9.6; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizon is 8 to 12 inches)
2Bt1--14 to 23 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few coarse roots; common fine irregular pores; few faint clay films bridging sand grains; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt2--23 to 31 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular and few very fine and fine tubular pores; few distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt3--31 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine, and few very fine tubular pores; few distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary.
2Bt4--42 to 62 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine, and few fine tubular pores; few distinct manganese coatings on coarse fragments; few distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6). (Combined thickness of Bt horizon is 35 to 49 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington; about 3 miles northwest of Cliffdell, Washington; about 2200 feet south and 1700 feet east of the northeast corner of section 5, T. 17N, R. 14E.; Latitude 46 degrees, 59 minutes, 02 seconds N., Longitude 121 degrees, 07 minutes, 06 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 42 to 44 degrees F. The estimated mean summer soil temperature is 44 to 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The thickness of andic soil properties ranges from 7 to 14 inches and is estimated to have a moist bulk density of 0.85 to 1.00 g/cc, glass content of 20 to 30 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid-oxalate extractable iron percent of 1.1 to 2.0 percent, phosphate retention is greater than 40 percent and 15-bar water retention of 8 to 12 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section clay content is 18 to 27 percent and 35 to 60 percent rock fragments..
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. The A2 horizon is ashy sandy loam and gravelly ashy sandy loam.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 moist or dry. Texture is very gravelly loam or very cobbly loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Ortellcreek (T) series. Ortellcreek soils have 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass in the ash mantle and are 35 to 45 inches to compact glacial till. The Felan series has a similar classification with mixed mineralogy. Felan soils have less than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pileup soils are on mountain side slopes at elevations of 3000 to 5,400 feet. Slopes are 10 to 55 percent. These soils formed in colluvium from basalt or andesite with a mantle of volcanic ash. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 60 inches. The average January temperature is about 24 degrees F. and the average July temperature is about 62 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is about 41 to 43 degrees. The frost-free season is 40 to 80 days and the growing season at 28 degrees F. is 130 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fifesridge and Fiscus series. Fifesridge soils are on mountain side slopes and are non-skeletal. Fiscus soils are on mountain side slopes and are ashy over loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production, wildlife habitat and recreation. Native vegetation is grand fir, western hemlock, Douglas fir, western white pine, western larch and lodgepole pine with an understory of twinflower, low huckleberry, princes pine, Cascade Oregon grape, wood rose, sidebells pyrola and vanilla leaf.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Yakima County, Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wenatchee National Forest, Yakima County, Washington, 2003. Source of the name is Pileup Creek in the Wenatchee National Forest, Naches Ranger District.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from2 to 14 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Andic soil properties - the zone from 2 to 14 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Argillic horizon - 14 to 62 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3 and 2Bt4 horizons)
PSCS - the zone from 14 to 34 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2 and upper part of
2Bt3 horizons).
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.
This series needs further investigation as to having a udic soil moisture regime. This is based on presence of grand fir, western hemlock, and twinflower vegetation.