LOCATION SPRINGSTEEN WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Andic Haplocryods
TYPICAL PEDON: Springsteen very gravelly loam - on a 50 percent convex north-facing slope under a conifer canopy. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--5 to 2 inches; undecomposed twigs and needles. (l to 2 inches thick)
Oa--2 inches to 0; decomposed forest litter; common very fine and fine roots. (1 to 2 inches thick)
E--0 to 2 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) gravelly silt loam, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent phyllite pebbles; NaF pH < 9.2; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Bs1--2 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) very gravelly loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic, weakly smeary; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 50 percent phyllite pebbles; NaF pH l2.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Bs2--6 to 17 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic, weakly smeary; common very fine and fine roots; many fine irregular pores; 55 percent phyllite pebbles; NaF pH l2.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 19 inches thick)
BC--17 to 23 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) very gravelly loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic, weakly smeary; very few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 55 percent phyllite pebbles; NaF pH l2.0; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
C--23 to 35 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) extremely channery loam, pale yellow (5Y 7/3) dry; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 70 percent phyllite channers; NaF pH l2.6; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to l8 inches thick)
2R--35 inches; phyllite.
TYPE LOCATION: Skagit County, Washington; approximately 2,400 feet south and l,l00 feet west of the northeast corner, sec. 24, T. 33 N., R. 10 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact with fractured phyllite bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. Mean annual soil temperature is estimated to range from 42 to 44 degrees F. Rock fragments range from 35 to 60 percent hard and 0 to 25 percent weathered by weighted average.
The E horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. Reaction is extremely acid, very strongly acid, or strongly acid.
The Bs horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, value of 3 through 5 moist, 5 or 7 dry, and chroma of 3 through 6 moist and dry. It is very gravelly or extremely gravelly silt loam or loam. Phyllite fragments average from 40 to 70 percent. Reaction is extremely acid, very strongly acid, or strongly acid.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 through 6 moist, 6 through 8 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and dry. It is very channery or extremely channery loam, silt loam, sandy loam, or very cobbly loam. Phyllite fragments average from 50 to 70 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid or strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Conto, Crinker, Dinzer, Homestead, Kindy, Lastance, Mt. Hood, and Tenex series. Conto, Dinzer, Homestead, Lastance, Mt. Hood, and Tenex soils are more than 40 inches deep. Crinker soils have dark colored organic coatings in the upper part of the Bs horizon and a mean annual soil temperature of 40 to 42 degrees F. Kindy soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact with dense glacial till.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Springsteen soils are on glacially modified mountainsides with slopes of 3 to 65 percent. Elevation is 2,000 to 3,100 feet. These soils formed in volcanic ash and glacial till, slope alluvium, and colluvium from phyllite. The average annual precipitation is 75 to 90 inches. The mean annual temperature is 40 to 44 degrees F. Average January temperature is about 31 degrees F; and average July temperature is about 58 degrees F. The frost-free season in 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Diobsud, Getchell, Potchub, Rinker, and Wollard, and the competing Crinker soils. Diobsud, Getchell, Potchub, and Wollard soils have a paralithic contact with dense glacial till at 20 to 40 inches. Rinker soils are frigid.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for woodland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, Douglas-fir, and western redcedar, with an understory of salmonberry, tall blue huckleberry, bunchberry dogwood, queencup beadlily, deer fern, salal, and western swordfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northwestern Washington. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Skagit County, Washington, 1981.
REMARKS: Classification only changed 4/94 because of recent amendments to Soil Taxonomy. This draft reflects a change in classification from loamy-skeletal, mixed Typic Cryorthods to loamy-skeletal, mixed Andic Haplocryods. Laboratory data are available on this series. NSSL numbers 81P3117-3123 and 80T280-282. Data supports classification. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an albic horizon from the mineral surface to 2 inches, a spodic horizon from 2 to 17 inches, and a lithic contact at 35 inches.