LOCATION TANKSEL WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Vitrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Tanksel ashy loam - rangeland on a 31 percent northwest-facing slope at 3,200 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; soft, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
AB--4 to 12 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt1--12 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films on the faces of peds; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.1); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--17 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) organic coats on the faces of peds; few distinct clay films on the faces of peds; 35 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear irregular boundary.
2Bt3--22 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on the faces of peds; 45 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt4--30 to 34 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine and very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on the faces of peds; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (The combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 13 to 26 inches.)
3R--34 inches; basalt bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington, about 2,200 feet east and 750 feet south of the northwest corner of section 22, T. 14 N., R. 21 E.; USGS Black Rock Spring NW topographic quadrangle; Latitude 46 degrees, 41 minutes, and 28 seconds North and Longitude 120 degrees, 10 minutes, and 57 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 100 to 120 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 20 to 29 inches. The upper 7 to 14 inches has an estimated bulk density of 1.15 to 1.30 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half extractable iron of 0.4 to 0.7 percent, and 15 bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent on air dried samples. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 50 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent coarse fragments by volume. Solum thickness and depth to bedrock ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Soil reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline throughout.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 to [SW2]3, dry or moist. It is ashy loam with 15 to 27 percent clay. It has 0 to 7 percent stones, 0 to 7 percent cobbles, and 5 to 20 percent gravel. Organic matter is estimated to range from 2 to 3 percent.
The AB horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is gravelly ashy loam, ashy loam, or stony ashy silt loam with 15 to 27 percent clay. It has 0 to 7 percent stones, 0 to 7 percent cobbles, and 10 to 20 percent gravel.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5 YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. The upper part is very gravelly clay loam, or very cobbly clay loam with 30 to 40 percent clay. It has 0 to 5 percent stones, 10 to 25 percent cobbles, and 25 to 30 percent gravel. The lower part is extremely gravelly clay, extremely cobbly clay loam, or very gravelly clay loam with 35 to 50 percent clay. It has 0 to 5 percent stones, 5 to 35 percent cobbles, and 30 to 40 percent gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are Maxhill and Modsel series. Both soils are very deep to bedrock. Maxhill soils have 90 to 100 consecutive dry days whereas Modsel soils have 60 to 75 consecutive dry days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tanksel soils are on hillslopes and have slopes of 15 to 65 percent. These soils formed in colluvium from basalt with an influence of loess and volcanic ash in the surface horizons. Elevations are 2,500 to 3,300. These soils are in a semiarid climate with hot dry summers and cold wet winters. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Mean January temperature is about 25 degrees F.; mean July temperature is about 69 degrees F.; and mean annual temperature is 46 to 49 degrees F. Frost-free period is 80 to 135 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blint, Lainand, and Patron soils. Blint soils are on hillslopes and are loamy-skeletal. Lainand and Patron soils are on hillslopes and are more than 40 inches deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to very rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is Sandberg bluegrass, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Washington and Grant County, Oregon. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yakima County, Washington, 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are
mollic epipedon from the surface to 22 inches (A, AB, 2Bt1, and 2Bt2 horizons)
argillic horizon from 12 to 34 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3, and 2Bt4 horizons)
lithic contact at 34 inches (3R horizons)
Xeric moisture regime
The particle-size control section is the zone from 12 to 32 inches (upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon).
Classification was changed from Pachic Argixerolls to Vitrandic Argixerolls in 1994.