LOCATION TALLS WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Andic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Talls ashy loam, forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--0 to 1 inch; partially decomposed needles, twigs, grass; neutral (pH 6.6).
A--1 to 1.5 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) ashy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 1 inch thick)
Bw1--1.5 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--6 to 14 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; common fine and very fine pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
2A--14 to 24 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common roots; many fine and very fine pores; thin distinct clay bands, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent stone and cobble; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
2Bt--24 to 37 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, plastic; common roots; many medium and fine pores; medium distinct clay bands, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 45 percent gravel, 25 percent stone and cobble; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2C1--37 to 49 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) gravelly loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few roots; few fine pores; 25 percent gravel, 25 percent stone and cobble; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
2C2--49 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) gravelly sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few roots; 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.9). (6 to 20 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Ferry County, Washington; 100 feet east and 20 feet north of the southwest corner of section 21, T.39N., R.33E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches is less than 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between 8 and 24 inches for more than 60 consecutive days. The upper part of the profile contains more than 60 percent pyroclastic materials. Depth to the lithologic discontinuity ranges from 12 to 22 inches. Content of rock fragments ranges from 0 to 15 percent in the upper part. Content of rock fragments in the lower part ranges from 40 to 60 percent by weighted average. The lower part of the profile contains 18 to 25 percent clay. Reaction of the solum is slightly acid to neutral.
The A horizons have a hue of 10YR, value of 6 dry or 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist.
The Bw horizons have a hue of 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. They are ashy silt loam or ashy loam and have weak granular or blocky structure.
The 2Bt and 2C horizons have hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry and moist. They range from clay loam to sandy clay loam or heavy loam, are gravelly, cobbly, very gravelly, or very cobbly, and have few layers of laminated silts and clays. Clay bands range from 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Reaction of the 2C horizons range from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Belzar, Hartill, Kloochman, McCree, Newbell, Newhorn, Ohscow, Oxerine, Redriver, Threemile, Wilma and Wilmont series. Belzar, Hartill, Kloochman, Oxerine, Redriver, and Wilma soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Newhorn soils have compact till at 20 to 40 inches. Oxerine soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. McCree soils are medial-skeletal in the upper part of the particle-size control section, loamy-skeletal in the lower part and average as loamy-skeletal. Newbell soils have sola 10 to 20 inches thick and the B horizon is 5 to 15 percent rock fragments and 8 to 12 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Ohscow soils have a solum 24 to 36 inches thick. Threemile soils are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and have secondary carbonates in the lower part of the control section. Wilmont soils are dominated by channery rock fragments and are very channery or extremely channery in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Talls soils occupy nearly level to steep upland slopes at elevations of 2,500 to 4,500 feet. They range from 0 to 45 percent slopes. Talls soils have a regolith of glacial till including reworked lake sediments with a mantle of volcanic ash. The mean annual air temperature is about 43 degrees F.; the average annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 24 inches; and the frost free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Talls soils are associated with Goddard, Merkel, and Nevine soils. Goddard soils have coarse textures in the lower part of the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Talls soils are well drained. Permeability is moderate in the upper part and moderately slow in the lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Grazed woodland. Native vegetation is mainly Douglas fir, larch, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, ninebark, snowberry, serviceberry, kinnikinnick, pachystima, elk sedge, rose and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. Talls series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ferry County, Washington, 1968.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from 1 to 6 inches (A and Bw1 horizons); a cambic horizon from 1.5 to 14 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).