LOCATION SCOTIA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Scotia fine sandy loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 1 inch; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; partially decomposed organic litter composed of needles, leaves, and twigs; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 2 inches thick)
Bw1--1 to 8 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; few fine discontinuous pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--8 to 13 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak, fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine, medium, and coarse roots; few fine discontinuous pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
E--13 to 21 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine discontinuous pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 19 inches thick)
E & Bt1--21 to 32 inches; 60 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy fine sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; common fine distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, mottles; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine discontinuous pores; 40 percent brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam lamellae, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist, massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and coarse roots; clay films in pores, clay bridging of sand grains; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
E & Bt2--32 to 60 inches; 75 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist, common fine distinct, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, mottles; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine discontinuous pores; 25 percent brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam lamellae, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; clay films in pores; clay bridging of sand grains; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Pend Oreille County, Washington; 150 feet north and 200 feet east of the southwest corner of section 33, T. 31 N., R. 44 E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 40 inches. 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 mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 44 to 46 degrees F. The soils are moderately acid to neutral. The coarse fragment content in the control section ranges from 0 to 10 percent.
The O horizon, where present, and the Ap horizon in cultivated areas, have chroma of 2 or 3 moist.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. It is fine sandy loam or loam.
The E part of the E and Bt horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. It is loamy fine sand or loamy sand.
The B part of the E and Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. It consists of lamellae 1/2 to 3 inches in thickness with a total thickness of 6 to 12 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar series in other families are the Artnoc, Caboose, Crash, and Rubson series. Artnoc soils are silt loam. Caboose and Rubson soils are silt loam or very fine sandy loam. Crash soils are silt or silt loam and have a Ck horizon within 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Scotia soils are on glacial lake terraces at elevations of 2,000 to 3,400 feet. Slope gradients range from 0 to 25 percent. These soils formed in sandy glaciofluvial deposits of mixed mineralogy with an admixture of volcanic ash and loess in the upper part. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 24 to 35 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 115 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonner, Clayton, Eloika, and Moscow. Bonner soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Clayton soils are mesic. Eloika soils are medial over loamy and mesic. Moscow soils lack an argillic horizon and have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the area is used for grazed woodland. Small areas are used for cropland with hay, small grains, and pasture as the principal crops. The native vegetation is Douglas-fir and other conifers, with an understory of spirea, Oregon-grape, and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington and possibly Northern Idaho. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Pend Oreille County Area, Washington, l981.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 8 inches and an argillic horizon consisting of bands totaling about 11 inches between 21 and 60 inches. The upper 13 inches of this pedon has an estimated 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 less than 12 percent. This description reflects a change in classification of adding superactive cation exchange activity class.