LOCATION TOWNSEND WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Townsend gravelly loam, grassland on an east facing slope of 3 percent and elevation of 15 meters. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 13 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) gravelly loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine to medium roots; many fine to medium irregular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 20 centimeters thick)
A2--13 to 46 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) very gravelly loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine to medium roots; many fine to medium irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 30 centimeters thick)
AB--46 to 61 centimeters; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) very gravelly sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine, few medium roots; common fine to medium tubular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 25 centimeters thick)
2Bg--61 to 91 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2), light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, iron depletions with clear boundaries lining pores, common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6), reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) dry, masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries between peds; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine to fine roots; common fine to medium irregular pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; cobbles are in a stone line at top of horizon; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual irregular boundary. (25 to 38 centimeters thick)
2Cd--91 to 152 centimeters; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; common medium distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, iron depletions with clear boundaries lining pores, common medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 4/6), light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) dry, masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries between peds; massive; weakly cemented, very hard, very firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots in cracks which are greater than 10 cm apart; few very fine to fine irregular pores; 45 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4)
TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson County, Washington, City of Port Townsend, east side of Washington Street, 45 meters back from the edge of the bluff; 470 meters west and 250 meters south of the northeast corner of section 11, T. 30 N., R. 1 W. Willamette Baseline Meridian; Coupeville, Washington USGS quadrangle; Latitude 48 degrees, 6 minutes, 43 seconds North, Longitude 122 degrees, 45 minutes, 46 seconds West; UTM 517655 meters E, 5328790 meters N, zone 10 NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface.
Mean annual soil temperature 11 to 12 degrees C.
Moisture control section - dry 75 to 90 days following the summer solstice
Depth to densic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Depth to redoximorphic features - 46 to 100 cm
Reaction slightly acid to moderately acid
Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 65 centimeters
Base saturation by ammonium acetate - greater than 50 percent from the surface to the densic contact
Particle size control section:
Clay content - 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments 35 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, 35 to 65 percent total
A1 horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 4 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist or dry
Rock fragments - 15 to 35 percent gravel
A2 and AB horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 3 to 4 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist or dry
Texture L or SL
Rock fragments - 35 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones, 35 to 65 percent total
2Bg horizon
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma 1 to 3 moist or dry
Texture SL or L
Rock fragments - 35 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones, 35 to 65 percent total
2Cd horizon
Hue 10YR or 2.5Y
Value 5 or 6 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma 2 to 3 moist or dry
Texture SL or L
Rock fragments - 20 to 60 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones, 15 to 60 percent total
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Townsend soils are on hillslopes of glacial drift plains at elevations of 0 to 90 meters. They formed in eolian sands and glacial drift overlying dense glaciomarine sediments. These soils are in a mild marine climate with cool, dry summers and mild, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 460 to 635 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 10 to 11 degrees C. Frost-free season is 200 to 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the San Juan and Zylstra soils. San Juan soils are somewhat excessively drained and do not have any restrictive features within the soil profile. Zylstra soils are somewhat poorly drained and have a coarse-loamy particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high in the A1, A2, AB, and 2Bg horizons, and very low in the 2Cd horizon. Townsend soils have a perched water table as high as 45 centimeters from the soil surface from November to March.
USE AND VEGETATION: Townsend soils are used for livestock grazing, forage crop production, wildlife habitat, and homesites. Potential natural vegetation consists of grasses and widely spaced Douglas-fir, Oregon white oak, pacific madrone, Roemers fescue, snowberry, bracken fern, trailing blackberry, bald hip rose, and oceanspray.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Washington; MLRA 2, North. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: West Puget Sound Basin, Washington, 1910.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 61 cm (A1, A2, AB horizons)
Cambic horizon - 61 to 91 cm (2Bg horizon)
Lithologic discontinuity 61 to 152 cm (2Bg and 2Cd horizons)
Densic contact - 91 cm (upper boundary of the 2Cd horizon)
Particle size control section - the zone from 25 to 91 cm (to the Cd horizon)
Depth to redoximorphic features 61 cm (upper boundary of the 2Bg horizon)