LOCATION SCRABBLERS              WA

Established Series
Rev. DWB/EMM/SHB
04/2011

SCRABBLERS SERIES


The Scrabblers series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in sandy glacial outwash derived from weathered granitic rocks with a mantle of volcanic ash and loess. Scrabblers soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments and have slopes of 0 to 65 percent. The average annual precipitation is about 27 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Scrabblers ashy very fine sandy loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

0e--0 to 0.5 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; loose, partially decomposed organic litter, composed of needles, leaves, twigs, bark, and cones; abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 4 inches thick)

A--0.5 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine and medium, and few coarse roots; many fine pores; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

Bw--6 and 11 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy very fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic and weakly smeary; common fine and medium, and few coarse roots; many fine pores; 3 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)

2BC--11 to 19 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium, and few coarse roots; common medium and coarse pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)

2C1--19 to 28 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) gravelly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few medium and coarse roots; few coarse pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)

2C2--28 to 60 inches; pale yellow (5Y 8/3) gravelly loamy sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few medium and coarse roots; few coarse pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary.

TYPE LOCATION: Stevens County, Washington; About 2,600 feet south and 1,500 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 1, Township 35 N., Range 41 E., USGS Lake Gillette, WA. topographic quadrangle; Latitude 48 degrees, 33 minutes, 51.9 seconds N. and Longitude 117 degrees, 34 minutes, 23.7 seconds W., NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 44 degrees to 46 degrees F. Thickness of the mantle of volcanic ash is 7 to 14 inches and has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.75 to 0.90 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 60 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples.. These soil are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depths of 8 and 24 inches for 45 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Coarse fragments in the particle-size control section average 5 to 35 percent. The soil is slightly acid or neutral throughout.

A horizon
Value - 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4 moist or dry

Bw horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4
Texture - very fine sandy loam, silt loam, or loam
Gravel content - 0 to 15 percent
Cobble content - from 0 to 5 percent

2BC horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 or 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4
Texture - sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or loamy sand
Gravel content - 5 to 10 percent

2C horizon
Hue - 10YR, 5Y, or 2.5Y
Value - 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Chroma - 2 to 4
Texture - loamy sand, sand, or gravelly loamy sand
Gravel content - 10 to 35 percent
Cobble content - 0 to 10 percent
This horizon has common fine or medium mottles in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Scrabblers soils are on outwash terraces and terrace escarpments at elevations of 1,900 to 4,500 feet. Slopes are smooth, rolling, or undulating and range from 0 to 65 percent. The soils formed in outwash derived mainly from weathered granitic rock and a mantle of volcanic ash and loess. The average annual temperature ranges from 42 degrees to 45 degrees F; the average annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 35 inches; and the frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonner, Kegel, Kiehl, Manley, Martella, Mobate, Moscow, Newbell and the competing Merkel soils. Bonner soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Kegel soils have a mollic epipedon. Kiehl soils are sandy-skeletal. Manley soils are medial over loamy-skeletal and are cryic. Martella soils are fine-silty and have an argillic horizon. Merkel and Newbell soils are loamy-skeletal. Mobate soils are loamy-skeletal and are 10 to 20 inches deep. Moscow soils are coarse-loamy and are 20 to 40 inches deep.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity in the upper part and very high in the lower part.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazable woodland, wildlife habitation, watershed, homesites, and recreation. Overstory vegetation is lodgepole pine, western larch, ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and grand fir. Understory is kinnikinnick, pachystima, strawberry, pinegrass, mallow ninebark, queencup beadlily, longtube twinflower, and common snowberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington on or adjacent to areas with granitic bedrock. The series is moderate in extent. MLRA 43A and 44A.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stevens County, Washington; 1978.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - from 0 to 6 inches
Cambic horizon - from 6 to 19 inches
Andic feature - from 0.5 to 11 inches
Classification revised 7/04 from Andic Dystroxerepts to Andic Haploxerepts based on supporting lab data.

MLRA investigation needed where mapped in Stevens County to assess xeric or udic soil moisture regime. Listed overstory and understory plants indicate a udic soil moisture regime; estimated actual precipitation as low 18 inches suggest a xeric soil moisture regime.

Scrabblers soils should be further investigated to determine typical mineralogy (isotic vs. mixed).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data available for soil survey sample numbers S01WA063009 and S02WA063003 Spokane County, Washington; 02N0120 and 03N0291 NSSL pedon numbers respectively.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.