LOCATION TIETON WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Tieton loam, abandoned field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 3 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary.
A--3 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 7 to 16 inches)
AB--9 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--15 to 31 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; siliceous coatings on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--31 to 37 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bt3--37 to 44 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 15 to 36 inches)
BC--44 to 48 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent fragments of andesite; few lime coatings on upper boundary with slight effervescence; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 16 inches thick)
2Bk--48 to 50 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) weathered andesite, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm,; lime coatings along cracks with violent effervescence; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
3R--50 inches; unweathered andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington; 1,300 feet south and 900 feet east of the northwest corner section 22, T.14N., R.17E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 27 to 50 inches. The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 16 inches thick. The average annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 50 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 95 to 105 consecutive days during summer and autumn. The particle-size control section has 20 to 35 percent clay, more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser and less than 15 percent rock fragments. Depth to a lithic contact is more than 40 inches.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, and 2 or 3 moist. It has weak to moderate structure.
The Bt horizon has value of 4, 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is loam, clay loam or silty clay loam. This horizon has weak or moderate blocky or prismatic structure. The argillic horizon is over 20 inches thick.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is loam or clay loam. Thin layers of lime are found on boundaries of the horizon and in vertical cracks.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buckbay (T), Colma, Duzel, Facey, Farrot, Foehlin, Hatspring (T), Immiant, Jauriga (T), Ladd, Lobitos, Los Gatos, Mehlhorn, Morical, Taneum, and Tweedy series. Buckbay, Duzel, Farrot, Hatspring, Immiant, Lobitos, Los Gatos, and Mehlhorn soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Colma soils are medium acid in the B2t horizon. Facey soils are dry for 90 days during summer and fall and are not influenced by loess. Foehlin soils are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days during summer and fall. Jauriga soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Ladd soils have an argillic horizon less than 21 inches thick and a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F. Morical and Tweedy soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Snowden soils have 15 to 20 percent iron concretions (shot) in the A horizon and have hue of 7.5YR or 5YR. Taneum soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 49 degrees F. and are dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches for 75 to 90 consecutive days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tieton soils are on uplands and have slopes of 0 to 35 percent. These soils formed in loess and weathered andesite. Elevations are 1,200 to 2,500 feet. The soils are in a climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation ranges from 11 to 15 inches. The average January temperature is 28 degrees F.; the average July temperature is 72 degrees F.; and the average annual temperature is 48-50 degrees F. The frost free season is 125 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ritzville and Harwood soils. Ritzville soils are on hills and canyon walls and have less than 18 percent clay. Harwood soils are on uplands and dissected terraces and are20 to 40 inches deep to a silica cemented duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated orchard, cropland, pasture and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly bunchgrass, balsamroot, Wyoming big sagebrush, and bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Washington. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yakima County, Washington, 1947.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 15 inches and an argillic horizon from 15 to 44 inches. The particle-size control section is the zone from 9 to 29 inches (upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Lab data RT77-WA012 (77T 7063) Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, Nebraska.