LOCATION STRATFORD WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcidic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Stratford silt loam, grassland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
A2--4 to 8 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common fine pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bw1--8 to 18 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bw2--18 to 23 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Bw3--23 to 28 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
2Bkq--28 to 60 inches; loose basalt gravel and sand; pebbles are coated on underside with carbonates and silica; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Washington; 800 feet east and 100 feet north of the southwest corner of section 16, T.17N., R.36E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 50 to 56 degrees F. These soils are usually dry between depths of 4 and 12 inches. Depth to the 2B horizon ranges from 20 to 36 inches. The lower part of the particle size control section contains 35 to 75 percent coarse fragments.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
The Bw1 horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist. It is gravelly loam, gravelly silt loam, silt loam, or very fine sandy loam.
The Bw2 and Bw3 horizons have value of 3 to 6 dry or moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly loam, gravelly loam, or gravelly fine sandy loam.
The 2Bkq or 2Bk horizon is extremely gravelly, very gravelly, very cobbly or extremely cobbly coarse sand. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils are the Aeneas, Leavers, and Pogue series. Aeneas soils have less than 10 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Leavers soils have few clay films and are dry for more than 115 consecutive days. Pogue soils lack silica accumulations in the lower part of the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Stratford soils are on nearly level to sloping terraces and outwash plains at elevations of 500 to 1,700 feet Slope is 0 to 60 percent. They formed in alluvium. They occur in a semiarid climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The average January temperature is 30 degrees F.; the average July temperature is 72 degrees F.; and the average annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F. The frost free season is 135 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Farrell, Ritzville, Roloff, and Strat soils. Farrell and Roloff soils have a coarse, loamy particle size control section. Ritzville soils have a coarse, silty particle size control section. Strat soils have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Range and dryland wheat. Vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg blue grass, big sagebrush, and yarrow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Washington. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Adams County, Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 8 inches, a cambic horizon from 8 to 18 inches, a discontinuity at 28 with loose gravel and sand with identifiable secondary carbonates and silica accumulation on underside of gravel.