LOCATION RET WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Cumulic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ret silt loam, meadow hayland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silt loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many roots; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A--7 to 14 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; many roots; many fine and very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches thick)
AC--14 to 29 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium and coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common roots; many fine and medium pores; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C1--29 to 30 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam pumicite, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few roots; common medium pores; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
C2--30 to 37 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; common medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) mottles; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few roots; common medium pores; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
C3--37 to 45 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few roots; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
2C4--45 to 60 inches; multicolored sand; single grained; loose; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Ferry County, Washington; at Lundimo Meadows, 1,100 feet north and 200 feet west of the southeast corner of section 30, T.39N., R.33E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 44 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depths of 8 and 24 inches for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The particle-size control section averages 6 to 18 percent clay and 0 to 15 percent rock fragments. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 36 inches thick. Depth to sandy textures is 28 to more than 60 inches. Reaction is slightly alkaline to moderately acid.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. The lower part is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam with 0 to 10 percent gravel. It has moderate to weak granular or blocky structure.
The AC horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is silt loam, loam, very fine sandy loam, or fine sandy loam with 0 to 15 percent gravel.
Some pedons have a Bw horizon. It has value of 3 to 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist or dry. It is silt loam, very fine sandy loam, or sandy loam and is 0 to 15 percent gravel.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5 moist, 5 to 8 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. It commonly has mottles that have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR and chroma of 4 or 6 moist. The C horizon commonly is stratified. It ranges from silt loam to sand and may be gravelly. It is 0 to 20 percent gravel. Some pedons have a thin layer of volcanic ash that commonly is in the upper part of the C horizon. Thin irregular wavy bands with 18 to 27 percent clay are present in some pedons.
The 2C horizon is coarse sand or gravelly coarse sand. This horizon is below 60 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ret soils formed in recent alluvium from mixed sources. They are on flood plains and low stream terraces at elevations of 1,600 to 3,800 feet. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches. The mean January temperature is about 23 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 64 degrees F, and the mean annual air temperature is 42 to 44 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hodgson, Louploup, Manley, Merkel and Nevine soils. All of these soils lack a mollic epipedon and have a regular decrease in organic carbon with depth. In addition, Hodgson soils have an argillic horizon and are on terraces. Louploup soils are on till plains and mountains. Manley soils are on upper slopes of foothills, mountains and ridgetops. Merkel soils are on mountains. Nevine soils are on moraines, foothills, and mountains.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very slow or ponded runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal uses are nonirrigated hay and pasture, grazing, timber, production, and wildlife. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, black cottonwood, Engelmann spruce, and western larch, with an understory of common snowberry, woods rose, Saskatoon serviceberry, blue wildrye, common chokecherry, Lewis mockorange, catchweed bedstraw, false-Solomons-seal, redtop, and black hawthorn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. MLRA 43A, 25. The Ret series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ferry County (North Ferry Area), Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 29 inches and an assumed irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth.