LOCATION SQUIRES WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, amorphic, mesic Typic Haploxerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Squires very gravelly silt loam - on a 45 percent northeast-facing slope under a coniferous canopy. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--2 inches to 1 inch; undecomposed forest litter.
Oa--1 inch to 0; decomposed forest litter.
E--0 to 1 inch; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine and very fine irregular pores; 50 percent angular and rounded pebbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); NaF pH less than 9.2; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
Bs1--1 to 6 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) very gravelly silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, and weakly smeary; common very fine to fine and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent rounded and angular pebbles; NaF pH 12.0; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual irregular boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bs2--6 to 17 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) very gravelly silt loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, and weakly smeary; few fine and common very fine roots; common fine and very fine irregular pores; 50 percent rounded and angular pebbles; NaF pH 12.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
C1--17 to 26 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) very gravelly loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) dry; weak moderate and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic, and weakly smeary; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 40 percent rounded and angular pebbles; NaF pH 12.0; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear irregular boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
C2--26 to 32 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) very gravelly loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few fine tubular pores; 40 percent angular and rounded pebbles; NaF pH 10.5; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
2R--32 inches; fractured phyllite.
TYPE LOCATION: Skagit County, Washington; approximately 1,500 feet south and 560 feet east of the northwest corner, sec. 2, T. 36 N., R 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact with phyllite and the thickness of the influence of volcanic ash is 20 to 40 inches. These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 51 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 70 percent phyllite fragments. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout.
The E horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, value of 3 through 5 moist, 5 through 7 dry, ay gravelly, very channery, extremely channery, or extremely gravelly silt loam, loam, or sandy loam and averages 40 to 70 percent phyllite fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ahl, Barnhardt, Blethen, Heisler, Tunnel, and Vanzandt series and the similar Blethen and Heisler soils. Ahl soils are 50 to 90 percent basalt, dry more than 60 consecutive days and slightly acid below the spodic horizon. Barnhardt, Blethen, Heisler, and Tunnel soils are more than 40 inches deep. Vanzandt soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact with dense glacial till.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Squires soils are on glacially modified mountain sides. Slopes range from 5 to 65 percent. Elevation is 300 to 1,500 feet. These soils formed in volcanic ash and slope alluvium and colluvium from phyllite and glacial till high in phyllite. The average annual precipitation is 40 to 70 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. Average January temperature is about 38 degrees F; and average July temperature is about 64 degrees F. The frost-free season is 160 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Barneston, Elwell, Heisler, Rinker, Squalicum, Tokul, and Vanzandt soils. Barneston soils are deep and are sandy-skeletal. Elwell and Tokul soils have a duripan. Heisler and Squalicum soils are more than 40 inches deep. Rinker soils are frigid. Vanzandt soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION Used for woodland and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, and red alder with an understory of vine maple, western brackenfern, western swordfern, red huckleberry, ladyfern, broadleaf starflower, salmonberry, and Oregon-grape.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northwestern Washington. This series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Skagit County Area, Washington, l981.
REMARKS: Classification only changed 4/94 because of recent amendments to Soil Taxonomy. This draft reflects a change in classification from loamy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Typic Haplorthods to loamy-skeletal, mixed, mesic, Andic Haplorthods. Laboratory data are available on this series. NSSL numbers 81P3124-3130. Laboratory data supports classification. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an albic horizon from the mineral surface to 1 inch, a spodic horizon from 1 to 17 inches, and a lithic contact at 32 inches.