LOCATION SAWPEAK WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic, frigid Alic Hapludands
TYPICAL PEDON: Sawpeak extremely gravelly medial sandy loam - forestland, on a 65 percent northeast-facing slope at an elevation of 1,760 feet in a western hemlock/salal-western swordfern plant association. (When described on August 26, 1992, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--7 to 16 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) extremely cobbly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--16 to 24 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) extremely cobbly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bw3--24 to 33 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bw4--33 to 38 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 16 to 32 inches.)
R--38 inches; marine basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Mason County, Washington, about 1 mile south of the Brown Creek Campground, about 950 feet north and 1,690 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 16, T. 22 N., R. 5 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 23 minutes, 31 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 19 minutes, 07 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist and are dry in the soil moisture control section 0 to 30 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Depth to basalt bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the bedrock contact has andic soil properties and 60 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. The andic soil material has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.50 to 0.90 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 4 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100rcent and a 15-bar water retention of 15o 30 percent for air dried samples. Reaction is strongly acid or very strongly acid throughout. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 1.5 to 3.0 percent. It has 2 to 5 cmol/kg of aluminum.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 through 4 moist and 4 or 5 dry, chroma of 2 through 4 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It has 5 to 15 percent organic matter.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist and 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 3, 4, or 6 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It is extremely cobbly medial loam, extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, or extremely cobbly medial loam. It has 1 to 7 percent organic matter.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the McGravey series. McGravey soils are very deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sawpeak soils are on mountain slopes, dissected mountain slopes, mountain headwalls, and glacial valleys. Slopes are 5 to 100 percent. The soils formed in colluvium from marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 1,650 to 2,700 feet. Average annual precipitation is 70 to 150 inches. Average annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F. and frost-free season is 140 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Duckabush, Hammahamma, Hoodcanal, McGravey, Waketickeh, and Walkinshaw soils. Duckabush and McGravey soils are on mountain slopes and are very deep. Hammahamma and Hoodcanal soils are on glacial valleys and are moderately deep to cemented till. Waketickeh soils are on mountain slopes and are very shallow to bedrock. Walkinshaw soils are on mountain slopes and are shallow to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is western hemlock, Douglas-fir, vine maple, western redcedar, Oregon-grape, western swordfern, red huckleberry, salal, common beargrass, deerfoot vanillaleaf, and northern twinflower.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mason and Jefferson Counties, Washington; MLRA 1. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mason County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - the zone from 7 to 38 inches (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, and Bw4 horizons)
Andic soil properties - 2 to 38 inches (A, Bw1, Bw2 and Bw3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - 2 to 38 inches (A and Bw horizons) Udic soil moisture regime
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon S93WA-45-002.