LOCATION RAINIER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Rainier clay loam - forested. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
O--1 inch to 0; forest litter, needles, twigs, bark, and moss. (1/2 to 1 1/2 inches thick)
A1--0 to 2 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic and weakly smeary; many fine and medium roots; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; plentiful roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
AB--8 to 14 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 5/2) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common roots; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 21 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few roots; strongly acid (pH 5.3); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt2--21 to 32 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay, brown (7.5YR 5/4) dry; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common fine and medium roots, tendency to fan out at bottom of horizon; thin nearly continuous clay films on peds; strongly acid (pH 5.3) gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
Bt3--32 to 45 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; moderate coarse and very coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual irregular boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
R--45 inches; massive, slightly weathered breccia; few fractures more than 4 inches apart.
TYPE LOCATION: Thurston County, Washington; 16 miles east of Vail on Bald Hill Road; 1,500 feet west, 400 feet south of northeast corner, sec. 11, T. 15 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to hard breccia is 40 to 60 inches. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following summer solstice. Mean annual soil temperature ranges from 48 to 51 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages from 0 to 15 percent rock fragments and 35 to 45 percent clay.
The A and AB horizons have hue of 10YR or 7.5YR. The AB horizon is clay loam or loam. The A horizon is strongly acid or moderately acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR through 5YR, value of 3 or 4 wet, 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 wet, 2 to 4 dry. It is clay, clay loam, silty clay loam or silty clay. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent. It is very strongly acid or moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bateman, Cornutt, Freezener, Jumpoff, Melbourne, Mildred, Munset, Oak Grove, Oakland, and Veneta. Bateman soils lack coarse fragments in the particle-size control section and have an average annual soil temperature of 52 to 57 degrees F. Cornutt soils are slightly acid in the Bt horizon. Freezener, Jumpoff and Melbourne soils lack an umbric epipedon. Munset soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Oak Grove soils are moderately acid or slightly acid in all parts and are dry for 60 to 80 consecutive days in the moisture control section. Mildred and Oakland soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Veneta soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 53 to 55 degrees F; are dry for 60 to 80 days in the moisture control section following the summer solstice.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rainier soils are on low mountain slopes. Slopes range from 5 to 65 percent. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium from breccia somewhat modified in places by glacial till. Average annual precipitation is 45 to 55 inches. Mean January temperature is about 36 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 63 degrees F; and the mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F) is 170 to 190 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Baumgard, Mashel, Pheeney, and Scamman soils. Baumgard soils are fine-loamy. Mashel soils have halloysitic mineralogy. Pheeney soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section. Scamman soils have grayish mottles within 20 inches of the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, watershed, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, red alder, western redcedar and bigleaf maple with an understory of vine maple, Oregon-grape, western swordfern, western brackenfern, salmonberry, longtube twinflower, salal, and red huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Thurston County, Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Thurston County, Washington, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: an umbric epipedon from the mineral surface to 14 inches, an argillic horizon from 14 to 45 inches, and a lithic contacted at 45 inches.