LOCATION SLICKEAR WA

Established Series
Rev. VB/TLA/TDT
08/2012

SLICKEAR SERIES

The Slickear series consists of deep to a duripan well drained soils formed in mixed loess, mixed with volcanic ash over older loess over a duripan over basalt on nonglaciated plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 40 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Slickear ashy fine sandy loam, dryland cropland on a 5 percent northwest slope at an elevation of 2,800 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)

Ap--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and common medium roots; few very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; 10 percent sand sized ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

AB--5 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent sand sized ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)

Bw--10 to 22 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) ashy fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate, medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, and fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 25 percent sand sized ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)

2Btkn1--22 to 40 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; many distinct clay films on peds; 5 percent sand sized ash, 0.5 to 2.0mm in diameter; few fine filaments of secondary carbonates in pores; slightly effervescent, lime in filaments; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (16 to 22 inches thick)

2Btkn2--40 to 46 inches; brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; few faint clay films on ped faces; 10 percent sand sized ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; violently effervescent, lime is disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

3Bkqm1--46 to 50 inches; indurated lime-silica cemented duripan; violently effervescent; clear wavy boundary.

3Bkqm2--50 to 55 inches; thin stratified layers of weakly and moderately cemented duripans interbedded with silt loam and gravelly silt loam; violently effervescent; abrupt wavy boundary.

4R--55 inches; basalt.

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; about 5 miles northwest of Withrow; 1,100 feet east and 600 feet north of southwest corner section 6, T.26N., R.24E. (Latitude 47 degrees 46 minutes 16 seconds N, Longitude 119 degrees 52 minutes 08 seconds W)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually moist in the moisture control section but are dry 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. The upper 10 to 28 inches of the profile has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.35 g/cc, 5 to 25 percent sand sized ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter, glass content of 30 to 50 percent and acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.15 to 0.40 percent. It has 0 to 5 percent rock fragments, and an apparent field estimated clay content of 5 to 15 percent.
The particle-size control section 2Btkn has 18 to 30 percent clay and less than 15 percent by weight of fine sand or coarser. Depth to calcium carbonate accumulation is 17 to 28 inches. Depth to indurated lime-silica duripan is 40 to 60 inches. Depth to basalt bedrock is 50 to 60 inches.

The Ap horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist. Chroma is 2 or 3 dry.

The AB horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is ashy fine sandy loam or ashy loam.

The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist. Chroma is 3 or 4 dry. Texture is ashy fine sandy loam or ashy loam.

The 2Btkn horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist. Chroma of 3 to 6 dry. Texture is silty clay loam or silt loam. It is slightly to strongly alkaline. The SAR in the upper part 2Btkn1 is 5 to 13 and ranges upto 20 below about 40 inches in the 2Btkn2.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Slickear soils are at elevations of 2,400 to 3,200 feet and are on nonglaciated plateaus. These soils formed in loess mixed with volcanic ash over older loess over a duripan over basalt. Slopes are 0 to 40 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. The semiarid climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean January temperature is 26 degrees F., mean July temperature is 70 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is 47 to 49 degrees F. Frost-free season is 110 to 165 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dutchenry, Farmer, Sevar and Silico soils. Dutchenry and Sevar soils are moderately deep. Farmer soils are coarse-silty. Silico soils are shallow.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability above the duripan and very slow to slow through the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Slickear soils are used mainly for wheat and barley production with a small amount used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass and Wyoming big sagebrush, north slopes are dominated by Idaho Fescue and threetip sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North central Washington; MLRA 8. Series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized; mollic epipedon from surface to 10 inches. An argillic horizon from 22 to 46 inches. An indurated duripan is at 46 inches. The particle-size control section is the zone from 22 to 42 inches. (2Btkn1 and the upper part of the 2Btkn2 horizons). Vitrandic properties from 0 to 22 inches. The pedon lacks a natric horizon in that only the lower part has an SAR of over 13 and when presen it lacks the prismatic or columnar structure necessary for natric.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial lab data is available on this pedon from the National Soil Survey Lab in Lincoln, Nebraska under pedon number 89P0209.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.