LOCATION RENHA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Renha ashy silt loam - on a west-facing 20 percent slopes at 2,950 feet elevation under a Douglas-fir canopy (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise note)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; needles, leaves, grass, and twigs.
A--1 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots; 2 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundry. (0 to 7 inches thick)
Bw--3 to 8 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine granular and subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, and common medium roots; 3 percent pebbles; neutral )pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 14 inches thick)
2E/Bt--8 to 12 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam (E part), light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam (Bt part), brown (10YR 5/3) moist (E part), brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist (Bt part); moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine,fine and few medium roots, common faint clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2Bt1--12 to 23 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; strong coarse prismatic parting to strong medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; continuous prominent clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary (5 to 16 inches thick)
2Bt2--23 to 29 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) and reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3 and 5YR 3/2) and strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, and coarse roots; many prominent and distinct clay films, 15 percent hard pebbles and 5 percent soft pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
2R--29 inches; fractured limestone (part of the pedon has a thin CBt horizon of saprolitic limestone that has few fine roots and faint clay films lining root channels).
TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation; Ferry County, Washington; about 12 miles northeast of the town of Keller; 1,450 feet south and 2,150 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 5, T. 31 N., R. 34 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 43 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches for 45 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The volcanic ash mantle is 7 to 14 inches thick and has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.65 to 0.95 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples. Depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 50 percent clay and 0 to 20 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist. It is 0 to 10 percent pebbles.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is 0 to 15 percent pebbles and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. Reaction is slightly acid to neutral.
The 2E/Bt horizon may be gravelly. It is 2 to 15 percent pebbles and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. Some pedons have a 2E horizon.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, value of 3 through 6 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry, 2 through 6 moist. It is clay or clay loam with 5 to 15 percent pebbles and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction is neutral to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Renha soils are on mountain benches and shoulders. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from limestone, marble, and dolomite with a mantle of volcanic ash and loess. Slopes are 0 to 40 percent. Elevations range from 2,300 to 3,800 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 20 to 22 inches. The mean January temperature is about 23 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 64 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is 42 to 44 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bearspring, Brusher, Centralpeak, Henneway, and Oxerine soils. Bearspring and Oxerine soils are loamy-skeletal. Brusher and Henneway soils are fine-loamy. Centralpeak soils are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability; very slow to medium runoff.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat, and watershed are the principal uses. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, grand fir, ponderosa pine, western larch, and lodgepole pine, with an understory of pinegrass, mallow ninebark, pachystima, common snowberry, sweetscented bedstraw, Columbia brome, creambush oceanspray, queenscup beadlily, longtube twinflower, dwarf rose, and Saskatoon serviceberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Colville Indian Reservation; Ferry County, Washington, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are volcanic ash mantle from the mineral surface to 8 inches, an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 3 inches, and an argillic horizon from 12 to 29 inches. The description reflects a change in classification from fine, mixed, frigid Andic Haploxeralfs to fine, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxeralfs.