LOCATION POLALLIE WATentative Series
The Polallie series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium from hard sandstone, with an admixture of volcanic ash. Polallie soils are on mountain side slopes and mountaintops. Slopes are 10 to 65 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 70 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal, amorphic Andic Haplocryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Polallie gravelly ashy sandy loam under a coniferous forest on a 40 percent northwest-facing slope at an elevation of 4,900 feet. The soil was moist when described. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches. Duff and partially decomposed litter; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
E--1 to 2 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Bhs--2 to 3 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) gravelly ashy sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, few medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; NaF pH 10.1; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 14 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly ashy sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine roots; 40 percent gravel; NaF pH 12.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Bw2--14 to 26 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly ashy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common few medium roots; common fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; NaF pH 11.5; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C--26 to 38 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) extremely gravelly ashy sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 55 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; NaF pH 10.0; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to l2 inches thick)
R--38 inches; fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 1.5 miles southwest of Waptus Lake; 800 feet north and 500 feet east of the southwest corner, section 14, T. 23 N. R. 13 E.; USGS Polallie Ridge Washington topographic quandrangle; Latitude - 47 degrees, 28 minutes, 42 seconds N. and Longitude - 121 degrees, 11 minutes, 18 seconds W. (NAD83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact with sandstone ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 41 to 46 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts in the moisture control section for 15 to 45 consecutive days during summer and fall. The exchange complex is dominated by amorphous material in the particle-size control section. It has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.85 to 1.10 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of greater than 2.0 percent and 15-bar moisture retention of 10 to 12 percent. Rock fragments in the particle-size control section averages 35 to 60 percent. Thickness of the spodic horizon ranges from 1 to 3 inches. Reaction is moderately acid or strongly acid.
The E horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moistand chroma of 2 to 4 dry, 1 to 3 moist. Texture is gravelly ashy sandy loam or very stony ashy sandy loam. It has 15 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 10 percent stones.
The Bhs horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 moist, 3 to 6 dry.
The Bw1 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, 3 to 6 moist. Texture is very gravelly ashy sandy loam or gravelly ashy sandy loam. It averages 20 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
The Bw2 horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 4 to 6 dry or moist. Texture is very gravelly ashy loam, very gravelly ashy sandy loam, or very cobbly ashy sandy loam. It averages 25 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 4 or 6 moist. Texture is extremely gravelly ashy sandy loam, very gravelly ashy sandy loam or very cobbly ashy sandy loam. It averages 10 to 55 percent gravel, 5 to 30 percent cobbles, and 0 to 30 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gilpar , Kachess Ronsel , Thetis , and Vabus soils.
Gilpar soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock; spodic horizon is 11 to 20 inches thick
Kachess soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
Ronsel soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock; spodic horizon is 3 to 9 inches thick; pscs dominated by rock fragments of serpentized basalt origin
Thetis soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock; pscs dominated by rounded rock fragments of glacial till origin
Vabus soils - 20 to 40 inches to a Cd horizon; spodic horizon is 9 to 17 inches thick
Similar soils to the Polallie include the Esmeralda, Hatchet, and Lemah series.
Esmeralda soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock; lacks an E (albic) horizon
Hatchet soils - medial-skeletal family; MAST of 40 to 42 degrees F.
Lemah soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock; lacks an E (albic) horizon
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Polallie soils are on mountain side slopes and mountain tops. Slopes are 10 to 65 percent. They formed in colluvium and residuum from Swauk Sandstone with an admixture of volcanic ash. Elevations are 3,500 to 5,500 feet. The soils are in a continental climate with cool, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 60 to 90 inches. The average January temperature is about 24 degrees F, and the average July temperature is about 58 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 44 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F. is 80 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lemah soils, and the competing Vabus soils. Lemah soils are greater than 60 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained;. moderately rapid permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation is Pacific silver fir, western hemlock, mountain hemlock, Douglas-fir, western white pine, Englemann spruce and Alaska yellow cedar with an understory of huckleberry, Pachystima, pyrola, common beargrass, elk sedge, western rattlesnake plantain, and rusty menziesia.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northwestern Kittitas County; MLRA 3. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from1 to 2 inches (E horizon)
Spodic horizon - the zone from 2 to 3 (Bhs horizon)
Andic properties - the zone from 2 to 38 inches
Particle-size control section - the zone from 11 of 38 inches
Lithic contact at 38 inches.
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.