LOCATION THREECREEKS WA+OR
Established Series
Rev. MEH/KWH/RWL
03/2013
THREECREEKS SERIES
The Threecreeks series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from basalt mixed with loess. Threecreeks soils are on flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 17 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 49 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Threecreeks silt loam- pasture, on a 1 percent slope at an elevation of 1,460 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many fine irregular and common fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--4 to 10 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; many fine irregular and common fine and medium tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 27 inches thick)
AB--10 to 24 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; common fine irregular and many fine and medium tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches thick)
Bw--24 to 41 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common fine irregular and common fine and medium tubular pores; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2Cc--41 to 48 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; common medium yellowish red (5YR 4/6) iron concretions; moderately acid (pH 5.8) clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2C--48 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores;few medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist redox concentrations; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington; about 1,000 feet north, 600 feet west of the southeast corner of section 22, T.4N., R.15E. (Latitude 45 degrees 48 minutes 48 seconds N. and Longitude 120 degrees 54 minutes 20 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts for 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 30 inches thick. Depth to the 2C horizon is 33 to 45 inches. Clay content in the particle size control section is 15 to 18 percent and contains 15 percent or more fine sand or coarser. Reaction is slightly acid or moderately acid throughout.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is silt loam or sandy loam.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 to 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Redox concentrations range from few to many. Texture is silt loam, loam or sandy loam. Some pedons have thin strata of gravelly sand.
The 2C horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 dry, and chroma of 2 to 6 dry or moist. Texture is gravelly sand, very gravelly sand, loamy sand or very cobbly loamy sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Coxlake,
Deerspring,
Endersby,
Evans,
Flofeather,
Lapwai,
Leavenworth,
Narcisse,
Okanogan, Patit Creek, Pleasant View,
Plinco,
Poween,
Porter,
Redola, and
Tombeall series.
Coxlake soils - dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days; 5 to 15 percent clay in the pscs; chroma of 2 or less within 30 inches
Deerspring soils - dry for greater than 90 consecutive days; slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline throughout
Endersby soils - dry more than 90 consecutive days; lack redox concentrations
Evans soils - MAST of 52 to 56 degrees F.; dry for 80 to 110 consecutive days
Flofeather soils - lack redoximorphic features; MAST of 52 to 53 degrees F.; have an aridic soil moisture regime
Lapwai soils - MAST of 53 to 55 degrees F., have a Bk horizon with secondary carbonates at 30 to 40 inches; lack redox features
Leavenworth soils - neutral to moderately alkaline throughout; 5 to 10 percent clay in the pscs
Narcisse soils - dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days; redox features with chroma of 2 or less at a depth of 40 inches or more
Okanogan soils - MAST of 51 to 55 degrees F; dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days
Patit Creek soils - 20 to 40 inches to a 2C discontinuity with more than 50 percent coarse fragments; neutral to slightly alkaline throughout.
Pleasant View soils - do not have redox features; have secondary carbonates (Ck horizon) within 40 inches with 12 to 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent
Plinco soils - dry more than 105 consecutive days; mollic epipedon 40 to 60 inches thick
Porter soils - mollic epipedon 24 to 48 inches thick; have an aridic soil moisture regime
Poween soils - dry for 75 to 90 days; are moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline throughout.
Redola soils - are slightly to strongly calcareous throughout the particle-size control section
Tombeall soils - have a MAST of 54 to 56 degrees F.; are neutral or slightly alkaline throughtout
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Threecreeks soils are on flood plains at elevations of 1,400 to 3,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from basalt mixed with loess. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 18 inches. The average January temperature is 28 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 66 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 80 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Goldendale,
Lorena, and
Munset soils. Goldendale and Lorena soils are on plateaus and are well drained. Munset soils are in depressions on plateaus and are poorly drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderate permeability. An apparent water table is at its uppermost limit from January to April.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used mainly for livestock grazing, crop production, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is scattered ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, and willow with an understory of creambush oceanspray, common snowberry, wild rose, bluebunch wheatgrass, basin wildrye, blue wildrye, and sedge.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: MLRA 8 and 10. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Klickitat County, Washington, 2003.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the soil surface to 24 inches
Cambic horizon - the zone from 24 to 41 inches (in some pedons the cambic horizon is absent)
Particle-size control section - is zone from 10 to 40 inches (the AB and part of the Bw horizons)
There is an assumed irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth.
ADDITIONAL DATA: This soil was previously correlated as Nook Variant in Washington.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.