LOCATION SANBEE             WA
Established Series
Rev. DLW/TLA
03/2007

SANBEE SERIES


The Sanbee series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils. They formed in glaciofluvial outwash, volcanic ash and loess over sandy glacial outwash. They are on kames and terraces on glaciated plateaus. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. Average annual precipitation is about 11 inches and average annual air temperature is about 49 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over sandy or sandy-skeletal, glassy over mixed, mesic Vitrixerandic Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Sanbee ashy fine sandy loam - uncultivated, on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 2,255 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures and spot plate reaction is used for pH values.)

Ap--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure parting to weak very fine platy; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, common fine, and few medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 12 percent sand-size ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 8 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bw1--7 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent sand-size ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Bw2--14 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent sand-size ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 6 to 25 inches)

2BC--28 to 32 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 8 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)

2C1--32 to 37 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2); weak fine granular structure; soft, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few fine irregular pores; 5 percent sand-size ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)

2C2--37 to 51 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 3 percent sand-size ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 3 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches)

2C3--51 to 60 inches; multicolored sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) matrix moist; single grain; soft, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 2 percent sand-size ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; neutral (pH 7.1).

TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; approximately 5 miles northeast of Mansfield; about 2,150 feet west and 300 feet north of the southeast corner of section 3, T. 27 N., R. 26 E. (Latitude 47 degrees 51 minutes 36 seconds N, Longitude 119 degrees 32 minutes 30 seconds W)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. These soils are dry in the moisture control section for more than half the cumulative time when the soil temperature at 20 inches is above 41 degrees F. The upper 7 to 10 inches of the solum has 0.5 to 1.0 percent organic matter. The upper 14 to 37 inches of the particle-size control section has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.20 to 1.45 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 30 to 45 percent, including 10 to 20 percent sand-size ash 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.10 to 0.40 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent, and an apparent field estimated clay content of 3 to 8 percent. The lower part of the particle-size control section has 0 to 20 percent volcanic glass and 1 to 4 percent clay. The control section averages 71 to 95 percent sand and 3 to 15 percent gravel. Depth to loamy sands textures is 14 to 30 inches and depth to sands is 14 to 37 inches.

The Ap horizon value is 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist. The chroma is 2 or 3 dry or moist. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.

The Bw1 horizon value is 4, 5, or 6 dry and the chroma is 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is ashy fine sandy loam, ashy sandy loam, or ashy coarse sandy loam.

The Bw2 horizon value is 4, 5, or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist. It is ashy sandy loam or ashy coarse sandy loam. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

The 2BC and 2C1 horizon value is 5 or 6 dry. The chroma is 3 or 4 dry and 2 or 3 moist. It is loamy fine sand, loamy sand, or loamy coarse sand. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

The 2C2 and 2C3 horizon hue is multicolored or 10YR or 2.5Y. The value is 3 through 6 dry and 1 through 4 moist. The chroma is 1 through 4 dry and 1, 2, or 3 moist. The texture of the 2C2 horizon is sand, coarse sand, or fine sand. The 2C3 horizon texture is sand or coarse sand. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sanbee soils are on kames, terraces, and in outwash channels. Elevation is 1,300 to 2,800 feet. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. Sanbee soils formed in glaciofluvial mixed with loess and with volcanic ash primarily from the G and B eruptions of Glacier Peak 12,750 to 11,250 years ago, overlying sandy glacial outwash. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches and average annual air temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. Average January air temperature is about 27 degrees F., average July air temperature is about 71 degrees F., and frost-free season is 130 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Delrio, Quincy, Strat, Touhey, and Tubspring soils. Delrio soils are in outwash channels, depressions, swales, and sideslopes of glaciated plateaus, have a mollic epipedon, and do not have loamy sands or sands within the particle-size control section. Quincy soils are on dunes and terraces, have less than 30 percent volcanic glass in the upper particle size control section, and do not have a cambic horizon. Strat soils are on glacial outwash plains and outwash terraces and are loamy-skeletal. Touhey soils are on side slopes and toe slopes of undulating till plains on plateaus and are moderately deep to cemented duripan. Tubspring soils are on kames and terraces and in outwash channels.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very slow to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability in the upper soil profile and very rapid permeability through the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Sanbee soils are primarily used for dryland wheat and barley production. Small areas are used for livestock grazing or wildlife habitat. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, needleandthread, Thurber needlegrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, and arrowleaf balsamroot.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North Central Washington. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.

REMARKS: Diagnostic features and horizons recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from 0 to 7 inches, a cambic horizon from 7 to 28 inches. The particle-size control section from 10 to 37 inches has an estimated 30 to 45 percent volcanic glass, including 10 to 20 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter from 37 to 40 inches an estimated 75 percent sand and 3 percent clay. The control section is the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw1, the Bw2, BC, and C1, and part of the 2C2 horizons). The sand-size pumice is white, gray or yellowish brown.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL lab data is available pedon numbers 90P0340 and 90P0341.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.