LOCATION SAFETY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Safety sandy loam, under scattered conifers with grass and shrubs, on a 40 percent convex southeast-facing slope at an elevation of 3,080 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures)
A1--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles, 3 percent surface stones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
A2--3 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 24 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 24 inches thick)
Cr--24 inches; light gray, yellowish brown and gray (10YR 7/2, 5/4, and 5/1) weathered granite; crumbles to very gravelly coarse sand; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; about 6 miles north of Manson, Washington; along Forest Service Road #2901; 500 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 36 T. 29 N., R. 21 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature ranges from 46 to 59 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 75 to 90 days following the summer solstice. Depth to paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Rock fragments in the particle-size control section range from 5 to 25 percent by volume. The particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.30 to 1.40 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral throughout.
The A1 horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. Rock fragments range from 0 to 10 percent by volume. Surface stones and boulders range from 1 to 3 percent.
The A2 horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. Rock fragments range from 5 to 20 percent by volume. Textures are sandy loam or gravelly sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has chroma of 3 or 4 moist or dry. Rock fragments range from 5 to 35 percent by volume. Textures are sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, or gravelly coarse sandy loam.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Usk series. Usk soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Safety soils are on mountain sideslopes that generally have southerly aspects. Slopes are 8 to 90 percent. They are formed in loess and volcanic ash mixed with residuum from granitic rock. Elevations are 1,700 to 3,800 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is about 15 to 25 inches. The average January temperature is about 26 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 68 degrees F.; average annual temperature is about 46 to 48 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees is 140 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bisping, McCree, Palmich, Thowson, and Garrison soils. All of these are deep soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Grazable woodland, wildlife habitat, watershed, and recreation. Vegetation is ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir, with an understory of ceanothus, antelope bitterbrush, saskatoon serviceberry, lupine, Idaho fescue, elk sedge, arrowleaf balsamroot, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in the northern portion of Chelan County, Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Chelan County, Washington, 1982.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are a mollic epipedon from surface to 11 inches, a cambic horizon from 11 to 24 inches, and a paralithic contact at 24 inches. This description reflects a change in classification due to Andisols order from coarse-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Haploxerolls to coarse-loamy, mixed, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data are available. National Soil Survey Laboratory samples #817617 and #817618.