LOCATION SAMSRIVER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, isofrigid Oxyaquic Haplorthods
TYPICAL PEDON: Samsriver very gravelly fine sandy loam-forestland on a 36 percent east-southeasterly aspect at an elevation of 2,880 feet in a Pacific silver fir/Alaska huckleberry-oxalis plant association. (When described on July 2, 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, and deer scat; abrupt smooth boundary. (0.5 to 1.5 inches thick)
Oa--1 to 4 inches; highly decomposed organic materials; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
E--4 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) dry; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; extremely acid (pH 4.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
Bs1--10 to 15 inches; 95 percent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very stony loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry and 5 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4), pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 25 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bs2--15 to 22 inches; 95 percent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) extremely gravelly sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry and 5 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4), light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) 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 roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 60 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bs horizon is 7 to 17 inches.)
Bhs--22 to 26 inches; 75 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) very gravelly loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry and 25 percent dark brown (10YR 3/3), brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots in the darker portion of the horizon; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
Cd--26 to 64 inches; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) extremely gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) dry; massive; hard, brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine irregular pores; 50 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Washington, about 5.5 miles north-northwest of the Quinault River Ranger Station, about 2,165 feet east and 2,535 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 8, T. 24 N., R. 9 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 35 minutes, 2 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 50 minutes, 58 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: 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 winter and mean summer soil temperature is 5 to 9 degrees F. These soils are usually moist and have a surplus of available water on a monthly basis throughout the year; perudic moisture regime. Depth to dense till is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from 10 inches to the dense till contact has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.70 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 1 to 2 percent, phosphate retention of 40 to 85 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 10 to 20 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section has 15 to 27 percent field estimated clay and 40 to 60 percent sand. Base saturation is less than 10 percent by ammonium acetate throughout the profile.
The E horizon (albic materials) has value of 5 or 6 moist and 7 or 8 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It has 5 to 15 meq/100g of extractable aluminum. It has 1 to 4 percent organic matter. NaF pH is 7.0 to 8.5.
The Bs horizon has hue of 7.5YR moist and 7.5YR or 10YR dry, value of 3 through 6 moist and 5 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2, 3, 4, or 6 moist and 1 through 4, 6, or 8 dry. It is very stony loam, extremely gravelly loam or very gravelly loam. It has 5 to 15 meq/100g of extractable aluminum. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter. NaF pH is 8.5 to 10.0.
The Bhs horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2, 3, or 5 moist and 4 through 7 dry, and chroma of 2, 3, or 8 moist and 3, 4, or 6 dry. It is very gravelly loam or extremely gravelly sandy loam. It has 5 to 15 meq/100g of extractable aluminum. It has 3 to 6 percent organic matter.
The Cd horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR moist and dry, value of 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It is extremely gravelly loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly sandy loam. Moist bulk density is 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the similar Kestner series. Kestner soils have a udic soil moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Samsriver soils are on glaciated moderate relief mountain slopes. Slopes are 20 to 50 percent. The soils are formed in colluvium and residuum from alpine glacial till derived from sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Elevations are 2000 to 3000 feet. Average annual precipitation is 170 to 210 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 Bunch, Hookbranch, Kestner, Knorr, Lunchcreek, Snahopish, and Solleks soils. Bunch soils are deep and very deep to bedrock and are well drained. Hookbranch and Lunchcreek soils are over bedrock and are well drained. Kestner soils are on glacial valleys and have a udic soil moisture regime. Knorr soils are over bedrock and are well drained. Snahopish and Solleks soils are udic, over bedrock and are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderate over slow permeability. Samsriver soils have a perched zone of saturation above the dense till from October through May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, Alaska huckleberry, Oregon oxalis, deer fern, avalanche lily, queencup beadlily, five leaf bramble, bunchberry dogwood, and false lily-of-the-valley.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Jefferson County and Grays Harbor County, Washington; MLRA 1. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Jefferson County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Albic horizon - 4 to 10 inches (E horizon)
Spodic horizon - 10 to 22 inches (Bs1 and Bs2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - 22 to 25 inches (Bhs horizon)
Dense layer - 26 to 64 inches (Cd horizon)
PSCS - 14 to 26 inches (Bs1, Bs2, and Bhs horizons)
This soil has a perudic moisture regime.
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Data from the NSSL pedon S98WA-031-002.