LOCATION RALOCK WA+IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ralock ashy silt loam- rangeland, on a 31 percent north-facing slope at 2,340 feet elevation . (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine irregular and tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
AB--4 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0 ); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt1--14 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films in root channels; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--22 to 27 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common distinct clay films lining pores and in root channels; 10 percent pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 8 to 18 inches)
2Btk1--27 to 36 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loam, brown to dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films lining root channels and pores; few fine discontinuous carbonate coatings lining root channels and pores; 20 percent pebbles; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
2Btk2--36 to 49 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common distinct clay films in root channels and pores; common very fine discontinuous carbonate coatings in root channels and pores; many fine rounded soft masses of lime; 20 percent pebbles; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 13 inches thick)
2Btk3--49 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine tubular pores; many discontinuous light gray (10YR 7/2) lime coatings throughout; few faint clay films lining root channels and pores and on faces of peds; 30 percent pebbles; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2 ); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington, about 9 miles southeast of Kittitas, Washington, about 1,100 feet west and 1,500 feet south of northeast corner of section 26, T. 16 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Badger Gap topographic quadrangle; (Lat. 46 degrees 50 min 54 sec N, Long. 120 degrees 16 min 45 sec W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section for 100 to 120 days after the summer solstice. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 20 to 25 inches. The depth to the discontinuity ranges from 11 to 20 inches. The upper 7 to 14 inches has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.15 to 1.30 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 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 20 to 35 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 15 to 30 percent coarse fragments. Depth to secondary carbonates ranges from 22 to 38 inches.
The A horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The AB horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist. It is gravelly clay loam, gravelly silt loam, or silt loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Bt horizon has a value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 5 moist and chroma 2 to 4. It is gravelly silt loam, silt loam, gravelly silty clay loam or gravelly clay loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Btk horizons have value of 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist and chroma 2 to 4. The upper part is gravelly clay loam, gravelly silt loam, or gravelly loam. The lower part is very gravelly silt loam, very gravelly loam, very gravelly clay loam or gravelly clay loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Georgecreek, Glenrose, Hillcreek(T), Morical, Mozen(T), Pachneum(T), Rollinger, Teewee, Tolius, Umperon(T), Volinger(T), Weener(T), and Wockum series. Georgecreek soils have 25 to 50 percent medium, coarse, and very coarse sand, are dry 75 to 90 consecutive days after the summer solstice, and have mollic epipedons 10 to 20 inches thick. Glenrose soils have 10 to 25 percent medium, coarse, and very coarse sand, are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days after the summer solstice, and mollic epipedons 10 to 20 inches thick. Hillcreek soils lack secondary carbonates and are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days. Morical soils are moderately deep to weathered bedrock. Mozen and Shushuskin soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact. Pachneum and Umperon soils are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days and lack secondary carbonates. Volinger soils have secondary carbonates at a depth of 43 to 60 inches and are dry for 90 to 100 consecutive days. Wenner soils lack secondary carbonates, have mollic epipedons 10 to 18 inches thick, and are dry for 90 to 100 consecutive days. Rollinger soils have less that 15 percent rock fragments and mollic epipedons more than 40 inches thick. Tewee soils have 10 to 25 percent medium, coarse, and very coarse sand, are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days after the summer solstice, and have mollic epipedons 10 to 20 inches thick. Tolius soils have C horizons, are dry 60 to 90 consecutive days after the summer solstice, and less than 15 percent rock fragments. Wockum soils average 5 to 15 percent rock fragments by volume and lack secondary carbonates.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ralock soils are on north-facing hillslopes and alluvial fans and have slopes of 4 to 60 percent. These soils formed in loess influenced by volcanic ash and colluvium from basalt and alluvium. Elevations are 1,800 to 2,500 feet. These soils are in a semiarid climate with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Average January temperature is about 25 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 69 degrees F; and average annual temperature is 49 degrees F. Frost-free season is 120 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Horseflat, Norod, and Palerf, Vantage soils. Horseflat soils are on hillslopes and are loamy-skeletal and 12 to 20 inches to bedrock. Norod soils are on ridgetops and are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Palerf soils are on hillslopes and are clayey-skeletal and 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Vantage soils are on plateaus and are clayey-skeletal and 12 to 20 inches to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to very rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes Sandberg bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Washington and southern Idaho. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 22 inches, an argillic horizon from 14 to 36 inches and a calcic horizon from 36 to 49 inches. The particle-size control section is the zone from 14 to 34 inches (upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon).
The classification was changed from Calcic Pachic Argixerolls to Vitrandic Argixerolls in 1994.