LOCATION SEEBURG WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Seeburg ashy loamy sand - forestland, on a 55 percent northeast-facing slope at 3,400 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inch; slightly decomposed forest litter mixed with a small amount of 1980 Mt. St. Helens volcanic ash; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A1--1 to 5 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) ashy loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 15 percent pumice less than 2 mm in size; 10 percent gravel; NaF pH 9.4; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual smooth boundary
A2--5 to 10 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent pumice less than 2 mm in size; 10 percent gravel; NaF pH 8.9; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizon is 7 to 14 inches)
2Bw1--10 to 23 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent pumice less than 2 mm in size; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.6; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary.
2Bw2--23 to 44 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; weak fine granular structure parting to single grain; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bw horizon is 13 to 40 inches thick)
2BC--44 to 63 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly loamy sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington; about 3 miles northwest of the community of Nile, Washington; about 200 feet south and 2,400 feet west of the northeast corner of section 19, T. 16 N, R. 15 E.; Latitude 46 degrees, 49 minutes, 52 seconds N. and Longitude 120 degrees, 59 minutes, 57 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 75 consecutive days after the summer solstice. Thickness of the volcanic ash mantle is 7 to 14 inches and it has estimated moist bulk density of 0.85 to 1.10 g/cc, glass content of 5 to 30 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent, phosphorus retention is 25 to 40 percent and the 15 bar water retention is 8 to 12 percent for air dried samples. Depth to skeletal material is 14 to 22 inches. The particle-size control section has 45 to 65 percent rock fragments and up to 5 percent soft tuffaceous sandstone fragments and 4 to 7 percent clay. Solum thickness is 50 or more inches.
The A horizon has a value of 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 1 or 2 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
The 2Bw horizon has a hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 to 7 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry, 2 to 4 moist. Texture is gravelly sandy loam in the 2Bw1 horizon and very gravelly sandy loam or extremely gravelly sandy loam in the 2Bw2 horizon. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The 2BC horizon is extremely gravelly loamy sand or extremely gravelly sandy loam. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Analulu, Ardenvoir, Blinn, Brevco, Coxit, Easte, Highhorn, Huntrock, Jimbluff, Jumpe, Kamela, Lekrem, Longort, Noil, Ontrail, Radercreek, Redpeak, Santop, and Thout series. The Analulu, Blinn, Brevco, Huntrock, Kamela, Longort, Redpeak, Santop, and Thout soils are moderately deep. The Ardenvoir, Easte, and Noil soils are deep to paralithic contact. The Highborn and Radarcreek soils are deep to a lithic contact. Coxit soils have 8 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Jimbluff soils have an ashy loamy sand ash mantle 10 to 20 inches thick. Jumpe soils have an ashy mantle 24 to 45 inches thick and have 15 to 27 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Lekrem soils have an ashy mantle 12 to 25 inches thick. Ontrail soils have a hue of 7.5YR or 5YR throughout the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Seeburg soils are on mountain side slopes at elevations of 2,200 to 4,600 feet. Slopes are 15 to 70 percent. These soils formed in colluvium from conglomerate and tuffaceous sandstone of Ellensburg Formation with a mantle of volcanic ash. Climate is characterized by warm, dry and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 25 to 45 inches. The average January temperature is 26 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 65 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 70 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Nile and Snilec soils. Nile soils are found on mountain side slopes and are cryic. Snilec soils are found on mountain side slopes and have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, slow to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for timber production, wildlife habitat and recreation. Native vegetation is Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir and western larch with an understory of pinemat manzanita, elk sedge, princes pine, pinegrass and snowbrush ceanothus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Wenatchee National Forest, Naches Area; Yakima County, Washington. MLRA 6. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Wenatchee National Forest, Yakima County, Washington, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 9 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Vitrandic properties - 1 to 10 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - 10 to 44 inches (2Bw1 and 2Bw2 horizons)
PSCS - zone from 11 to 41 inches (2Bw1 and part of the 2Bw2 horizons)
Frigid soil temperature regime.
Xeric soil moisture regime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data is available for sample # S91WA-077-002, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.