LOCATION TITCHENAL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Titchenal silt loam - cropland on a 10 percent north facing slope at an elevation of 3,240 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 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary.
A1--10 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; few fine irregular and tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--15 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 20 to 25 inches)
Bt1--20 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few fine irregular and tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--38 to 57 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizon is 24 to 33 inches)
2Bkqm--57 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moderately cemented duripan, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; when crushed, the duripan textures to gravelly sandy loam with 30 percent duripan fragments 2 to 75 mm. in diameter; massive; extremely hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine irregular pores; 9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; disseminated secondary lime and common distinct filaments of secondary lime on faces of peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; on Badger Mountain about 15 miles southwest of Waterville; about 1,000 feet north and 900 feet east of the southwest corner of section 15, T.23 N., R.21 E. (Latitude 47 degrees 28 minutes 18 seconds N, Longitude 120 degrees 11 minutes 35 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 25 inches thick and can include the upper part of the Bt horizon. Base saturation is 60 to 75 percent in the lower part of the mollic epipedon. Clay content of the particle-size control section ranges from 10 to 18 percent and there is less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Depth to the duripan is 40 to 60 inches.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is slightly acid or neutral.
The Bt horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 moist. It is neutral or slightly alkaline increasing with depth. Base saturation is 75 to 90 percent.
The 2Bkqm horizon is weakly to moderately cemented. When crushed, the duripan textures to gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, very gravelly silt loam, or very gravelly fine sandy loam. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 to 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Titchenal soils are on north aspects on nonglaciated plateaus. Elevation is 2,400 to 3,300 feet. Slopes are 3 to 15 percent. Titchenal soils formed in loess over older loess over a duripan. The climate is characterized by warm dry summers and cool moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Average January temperature is about 26 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 70 degrees F., and average annual air temperature is 47 to 49 degrees F. Frost-free season is 110 to 165 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Broadax, Hanning and Van Nostern soils. Broadax soils are on uplands and have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick. Hanning soils are on uplands and are fine-silty. Van Nostern soils are on plateaus and are moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability above the duripan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for dryland crop production. Wheat and barley are the principal crops. The potential native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, arrowleaf balsamroot, threetip sagebrush and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Douglas County, Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 20 inches, a coarse-silty argillic horizon from 20 to 57 inches and a moderately cemented duripan at 57 inches. The particle size control section is the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon from 20 to 40 inches (the Bt1 and part of the Bt2 horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL laboratory data is available on similar soil NSSL pedon number 87P0507.