LOCATION SUCIA WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sucia loamy sand, pasture, on a nearly level glacial outwash plain at 44 meters elevation. When described on October 4, 2005 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 20 cm; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 23 cm thick)
Bw--20 to 43 cm; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few medium roots and common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular, common fine tubular, and many medium interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)
E--43 to 79 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) gravelly loamy sand, gray (10YR 6/1) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; many prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4), light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry, iron-manganese masses; 10 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 38 cm thick)
2Btg--79 to 97 cm; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots and common very fine roots in cracks; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) dry, iron-manganese masses, and many prominent gray (10YR 6/1), light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, iron depletions; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (15 to 36 cm thick)
2Cd--97 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; organic stains on vertical faces of peds; common prominent gray (10YR 6/1), light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, iron depletions in cracks; neutral (pH 7.3).
TYPE LOCATION: San Juan County, Washington; 30 meters north and 340 meters west of southeast corner of sec. 13, T. 36 N., R. 4 W. Willamette Baseline Meridian; USGS Roche Harbor NE quarter quadrangle; lat. 48 degrees 36 minutes 33 seconds N. and long. 123 degrees 7 minutes 53 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface.
Mean annual soil temperature - 10 to 11 degrees C
Moisture control section - dry 75 to 90 days following the summer solstice
Depth to densic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Depth to redoximorphic features - 41 to 69 cm
Reaction - strongly acid to neutral
Particle size control section:
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent total
A horizon
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist or dry
Clay content - 2 to 8 percent
Bw horizon
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist or dry
Texture - S or LS
Clay content - 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent total
E horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist or dry
Texture - S or LS
Clay content - 0 to 5 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent gravel
2Btg horizon
Hue - 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 3 or 4 moist or dry
Texture - L, CL, or SCL
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
2Cd horizon
Hue - 2.5Y, 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist or dry
Texture - SIL, L or SL
Clay content - 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 15 percent fine gravel
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mitchellbay, Deadmanbay, Killebrew and Wellsdale series. Mitchellbay soils are loamy above the argillic horizon. Deadmanbay soils have a densic contact at 50 to 100 cm. Killebrew soils have a densic contact at 25 and 50 cm. These three soils also have a depth to redoximorphic features between 20 and 41 cm. Wellsdale soils are very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sucia soils are in valleys of drift plains at elevations of 0 to 152 meters. They formed in glacial outwash over dense glaciomarine deposits. Slopes are 0 to 20 percent. These soils have a mild marine climate with warm dry summers and mild moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 457 to 762 mm. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 9 to 10 degrees C. Frost-free season is 200 to 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Coveland, Sholander, and Spieden soils. Coveland and Sholander soils are in similar positions but occupy a lower position on the slope and have redoximorphic features at 23 to 46 cm. Spieden soils are in drainageways and depressions of outwash plains and have aquic conditions to the soil surface.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high to very high above the argillic horizon (A and Bw horizons), moderately high in the argillic horizon (2Btg horizon), and low in the densic material (2Cd horizon). Sucia soils have a water table as high as 20 cm from October through March, as high as 43 cm in April and as high as 79 cm in May and June.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for homesites, livestock grazing, forage crop production, and timber production. Potential natural vegetation consists of Douglas-fir, Pacific madrone, lodgepole pine, oceanspray, baldhip rose, salal, Cascade Oregongrape, rattlesnake plantain, and bracken fern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Puget Sound valleys in Northwest Washington; MLRA 2, Northern Part. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Juan County, Washington - 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon
Albic horizon - 43 to 79 cm (E horizon)
Argillic horizon - 79 to 97 cm (2Btg horizon)
Depth to redoximorphic features - 43 cm (top of the E horizon)
Densic contact - 97 cm (top of the 2Cd horizon)
Particle-size control section - 79 to 97 cm (2Btg horizon)
This revision (5/2006) includes a new typical pedon. The classification has changed to reflect the current central concept of Sucia soils being moderately deep to densic material and having an argillic horizon. The previous classification was sandy, isotic, mesic Aquic Xerorthents.