LOCATION SACHEEN WA+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, frigid Typic Xeropsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Sacheen loamy fine sand, dry, on a 6 percent northeast facing slope under a ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir canopy at an elevation of 1,970 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 1.5 inches; needles, twigs, leaves, bark, and partially decomposed organic matter.
A--1.5 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy fine sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
C1--5 to 21 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary (4 to 20 inches thick)
C2--21 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Colville Indian Reservation; Okanogan County, Washington; about 5 miles northwest of the town of Nespelem; 1,900 feet south and 2,000 feet west of the northeast corner sec. 35, T. 32 N., R. 30 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts between 8 and 24 inches for 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The average annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 42 to 46 degrees F. The particle-size control section is 3 to 8 percent clay and 0 to 25 percent coarse fragments. These soils are neutral to moderately acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3 moist and dry. It is loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Some pedons have a Bw or AC horizon.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist or dry. It is sand, loamy sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand and is gravelly in the lower part in some pedons. It is 5 to 25 percent gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Corbett, Juniperbutte, Lowercreek and Shellrock series. Corbett soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Juniperbutte soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 40 to 44 degrees F and are fine sand throughout the particle-size control section. Lowercreek has less than 5 percent gravel in the C horizon. Shellrock soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 40 to 44 degrees F and are loamy coarse sand throughout the control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sacheen soils are on uplands, glacial outwash terraces, terrace escarpments, kames, sand dunes and old alluvial fans at elevations of 1,300 to 5,300 feet. Slope gradients range from 0 to 70 percent. These soils formed in glaciofluvial material, alluvium, outwash, and eolian materials of mixed mineralogy. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The average annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 35 inches and average annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 85 to 125 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These soils include Clayton, Dalkena, Dufort, Eloika, Hagen, Scotia, and Scrabblers soils. Clayton soils are coarse-loamy and mesic. Eloika soils are ashy over loamy and are frigid. Clayton and Eloika soils are on terraces. Dalkena soils are coarse-loamy over clayey and are on lake terraces. Dufort soils are ashy over loamy-skeletal and are on foothills and mountains. Scotia and Scrabblers soils have a cambic horizon. Scotia soils are on glacial outwash terraces. Scrabblers soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow to very rapid runoff; very rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazed woodland. Some small areas are used for cropland with hay, pasture, and small grains as the principal crops. The native vegetation includes ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine, with an understory of snowbrush ceanothus, kinnikinnick, phlox, bluebunch wheatgrass, common snowberry, creambush oceanspray, and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington and northwestern Montana. MLRA 43A, 44A. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pend Oreille County Area, Washington, 1981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches; and
Particle-size control section - 10 to 40 inches that is sandy throughout.