LOCATION SEMAL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Xereptic Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Semal very cobbly sandy loam - rangeland, on 6 percent east-facing slope at an elevation of 510 feet. (colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine platy structure parting to weak fine and medium granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 14 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, and few medium roots; many very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Bq--14 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose; common very fine and few medium roots; few faint silica coatings on gravel and cobbles; 45 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
3Bkqm1--27 to 40 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; strongly cemented; few coarse roots; 30 percent gravel, 35 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
3Bkqm2--40 to 55 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; strongly cemented; 40 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); (6 to 20 inches thick)
3Bkq--55 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose; common distinct silica coatings on gravel and cobbles; 40 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0);
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 8 1/2 miles south of Vantage, WA., about 2,300 feet west and 1,200 feet north of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 16 N., R. 23 E.; USGS Beverly, Washington topographic quadrangle; Latitude 46 degrees, 49 minutes, 45 seconds N. and Longitude 119 degrees, 56 minutes, and 56 seconds W. (NAD83)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 50 to 56 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in all parts of the moisture control section for more than half of the time when the soil temperature is above 40 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 5 to 15 percent clay and 35 to 65 percent rock fragments by volume. Organic matter is estimated to range from 0.5 to 1 percent in the A horizon. Depth to strongly cemented duripan ranges from 20 to 40 inches.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 dry. Texture is cobbly sandy loam, very cobbly sandy loam, or stony sandy loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam or very gravelly fine sandy loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Bq horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, very gravelly loamy sand or extremely gravelly loamy sand. It is weakly cemented in some pedons.
The 3Bkqm and 3Bkq horizons have hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. The 3Bkqm horizon is extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand or extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand. The 3Bkq horizon is extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, extremely cobbly coarse sand or extremely gravelly coarse sand or extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. The 3Bkq horizon is absent in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on terraces at elevations of 500 to 1,300 feet. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in glacial outwash that is mixed with loess in the upper part. Elevations are 500 to 1,300 feet. These soils are in an arid climate with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. The average January temperature is about 27 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 71 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 195 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Drino, Fortyday, Malaga, Sagehill and Timmerman soils. Drino soils are on benches and hillslopes and have lithic contact between 20 and 40 inches. Fortyday soil are on benches and hillslope and have lithic contact between 14 and 20 inches. Malaga, Sagehill and Timmerman soils are on terraces and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, orchards and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in southwestern Kittitas County; MLRA 3. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yakima Training Center, Kittitas County, Washington, 2000. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 inches (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 5 to 14 inches (Bw horizon)
Duripan - the zone from 27 to 55 inches (3Bqkm horizon)
PSCS -the zone from 10 to 27 inches (Bw and 2Bq horizons)
Soil moisture regime - aridic bordering on xeric
This pedon has mollic colors from 0 to 14 inches (A and Bw horizons) but lack the organic matter requirement to qualify as a mollic epipedon.