LOCATION REELOW WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Haplic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Reelow very gravelly ashy loam- rangeland, on a 4 percent slope at an elevation of 2,240 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to weak medium granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few coarse roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles and 20 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.5; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick).
BA--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) ashy clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few coarse roots; common very fine irregular and tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; NaF pH 8.5; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 4 inches)
2Bt--6 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly clay; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) clay films lining pores and on faces of peds; few pockets with prominent dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay films on surface of peds at lower boundary; 20 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.5: neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Bstqm--14 to 18 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dense alluvium that breaks to very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; moderately cemented; few very fine roots in vertical seams and common very fine roots concentrated at upper boundary; few very fine pores in seams and around rock fragments, and common very fine pores in matrix; common prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films in vertical seams; 1 to 2 mm prominent brown (7.5YR 4/3) concentrations at upper boundary; many prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) coatings around rock fragments; common silica coatings on bottom of rock fragments; common prominent black (N 2/0) iron-manganese stains around rock fragments and in seams; 35 percent pebbles and 10 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.0; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bsqm--18 to 56 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dense alluvium that breaks to extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; moderately cemented; few very fine pores in seams and around rock fragments and common very fine and fine pores in matrix; common distinct light brown (7.5YR 6/4) coatings around rock fragments; common silica coatings on bottom of rock fragments; common prominent black (N 2/0) iron-manganese stains around rock fragments, in seams and in pores; few distinct reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) manganese coating in seams; 50 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.0; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (24 to 49 inches thick)
Bs--56 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; weakly cemented; common very fine, fine and medium pores; few prominent black N 2.0 iron-manganese stains around rock fragments; 50 percent pebbles and 15 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.0; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 5 miles northeast of Ellensburg, WA.; 900 feet east, 700 feet north of the southwest corner of section 23, T. 19 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Ellensburg, North, Wash. quad.; Latitude 47 degrees, 07 minutes, 08 seconds N.; and Longitude 120 degrees, 33 minutes, 21 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 90 to 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Organic matter is estimated to range from 2 to 4 percent in the A or Ap horizons. The particle-size control section has 35 to 50 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments. The depth to an extremely or very gravelly moderately cemented iron-silica duripan is 10 to 20 inches. Base saturation is more than 75 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral throughout. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches and includes the argillic horizon. The upper 2 to 7 inches has a volcanic glass content of 15 to 25 percent acid-oxalate aluminum plus one-half iron of 0.25 to 0.6 percent, and 5 to 10 percent 15-bar moisture.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
The BA horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is ashy clay loam, gravelly ashy clay loam, or ashy loam.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and 2 or 3 moist. It is gravelly clay or gravelly clay loam. It has 15 to 35 percent rock fragments by volume.
The 3Bstqm horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry and 2 through 4 moist. It is very gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam.
The 3Bsqm horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry and 2 through 4 moist. It is very gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly sandy clay loam.
The 3Bs horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 through 6 dry and 2 through 4 moist. It is very gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Lablue series which is 7 to 10 inches to a moderately cemented duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reelow soils are on old uplifted fan remnants, old terraces and old till plains. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and glacial drift over a duripan with an influence of loess mixed with volcanic ash in the surface. Elevation is 1,700 to 3,100 feet. Climate is semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. The average January temperature is about 25 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 69 degrees F.; and average annual temperature is about 46 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 130 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Lablue soils and the Maxhill, Metser, Millhouse, Reeser, and Sketter soils. Maxhill soils (on terraces and alluvial fans), Metser soils (on terraces and alluvial fans) and Millhouse soils (on alluvial fans) lack a duripan. Reeser and Sketter soils are on old uplifted fan remnants, old terraces and old till plains are 20 to 40 inches to a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for irrigated crop production, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Wyoming sagebrush and bitterbrush. When irrigated, hay, oats, and wheat are among the crops grown.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington, MLRA 8. The soil is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, l990. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 14 inches (A, BAt and 2Bt horizons)
Argillic horizon - 6 to 14 inches (2Bt horizon) (Swauk Prairie and pre-Swauk Prairie, pre-Wisconsin Age soil members. The Thorp member has 50 to 60 percent clay and is the clayey subsoil phase.)
Duripan - 14 to 56 inches (3Bstqm and 3Bsqm horizons)(Predominantly of Pliocene Age Thorp Gravel which consists mostly of two facies, mainstream gravel consisting of durable silicic to intermediate volcanic rock and sidestream gravel consisting mostly of subangular clasts of Grande Rhone Basalt; and Swauk Prairie and Lookout Mountain Ranch, pre-Wisconsin Age glacial draft)
PSCS - zone from 6 to 14 inches (2Bt horizon).
Vitrandic feature - from 0 to 6 inches
Haplic feature - from 14 to 56 inches with a moderately cemented iron-silica duripan.
Xeric soil moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory sample # S92WA-037-015 for this pedon; NSSL, Lincoln, NE.
This draft reflects a change in classification from Palexerollic to Haplic Durixerolls based on lab data. Lab data did not reflect a 15 percent (absolute) clay increase at the upper boundary of the argillic horizon.