LOCATION SALMONRIVER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, mixed, isofrigid Typic Placudands
TYPICAL PEDON: Salmonriver medial silt loam-forestland, on a 3 percent northwesterly aspect at an elevation of 530 feet in a Pacific silver fir/salal-deerfern plant association. (When described on June 14, 1997, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, cone fragments, and other woody fragments; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Oe--1 to 4 inches; intermediately decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
Oa--4 to 8 inches; highly decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A--8 to 16 inches; 80 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) medial silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry and 20 percent dark yellowish brown(10YR 3/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--16 to 21 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) medial loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--21 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) medial loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 10 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--28 to 39 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) gravelly medial loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bw4--39 to 46 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) very cobbly medial silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 22 to 36 inches.)
Bsm--46 to 48 inches; 20 percent very dusky red (2.5YR 2.5/2) extremely gravelly loamy sand, dusky red (2.5YR 3/2) dry and 80 percent dark red (2.5YR 3/6), yellowish red (5YR 5/6) dry; massive; indurated; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1/2 to 3 inches thick)
Cd--48 to 68 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) extremely gravelly loamy sand, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) dry; massive; slightly hard, brittle when moist, nonsticky and nonplastic; 45 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington, about 3 miles north of the intersection of State Highway 101 and Forest Service road #21, about 2,005 feet east and 950 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 3, T. 23 N., R. 11 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 31 minutes, 51 seconds North, Longitude 124 degrees, 06 minutes, 01 seconds West)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. and the mean winter soil temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. The difference between the mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 7 to 9 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, and are dry 0 to 30 consecutive days in the soil moisture control section. Depth to the placic horizon is 30 to 40 inches from the mineral soil surface. The particle-size control section has andic soil properties throughout. The andic soil material has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 grams per cubic centimeter, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron is 2 to 4 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 20 to 35 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section has 15 to 27 percent field estimated clay, 15 to 40 percent sand, and has a weighted average of less than 35 percent rock fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 3, 4, or 6 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It has weak or moderate structure.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR moist and dry, value of 3 through 5 moist and 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 3, 4, or 6 moist dry. It is medial loam, gravelly medial loam, medial silt loam, or very cobbly medial silt loam. It has weak or moderate structure.
The Cd horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and 6 or 7 dry and chroma of 3 or 4 moist and dry. It is extremely gravelly loamy sand, extremely cobbly loamy sand, or very gravelly sandy loam. It has moist bulk density of 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Salmonriver soils are on ground moraines on till plains. Slopes are 0 to 10 percent. The soils are formed in reworked alpine glacial till deposits derived dominantly from sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Elevations are 500 to 600 feet. Average annual precipitation is 110 to 130 inches. Fog drip contributes to the effective precipitation totals. Average annual temperature is 41 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Haas, Kunamakst, Manorcreek, and Thimblepeak soils. Haas and Thimblepeak soils are on ground moraines and are very deep. Kunamakst soils are on ground moraines and are shallow to dense till. Manorcreek soils are in closed wet depressions and are organic soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderate over very slow permeability. Salmonriver soils have a perched zone of saturation above the placic horizon from November through April; (oxyaquic).
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, salal, deer fern, red huckleberry, western swordfern, and Alaska huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Grays Harbor County, Washington; MLRA 4A. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Folistic epipedon - 0 to 8 inches
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - 16 to 46 inches (Bw1 through Bw4 horizons)
Placic horizon - 46 to 48 inches (Bsm horizon)
Andic soil properties - 8 to 46 inches
Densic material - 48 to 68 inches (Cd layer slakes in water)
PSCS - 8 to 46 inches (A and Bw1 through Bw4 horizons)
All depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
This series would classify as Oxyaquic if and when a subgroup is approved.