LOCATION USELESSBAY              WA

Established Series
EED/BAL/MPR
07/2017

USELESSBAY SERIES

The Uselessbay series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in sandy glacial outwash over dense glacial drift. Uselessbay soils are on summits and side slopes of narrow ridges. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 830 millimeters and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic, mesic Oxyaquic Dystroxerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Uselessbay gravelly sandy loam, on a north facing 6 percent slope. When described on September 4, 2008, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).

Oi--0 to 4 centimeters; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs.

A--4 to 8 centimeters; gravelly sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky parting to weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine, and common medium tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 10 centimeters thick)

Bw1--8 to 23 centimeters; gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine, fine, and medium tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--23 to 38 centimeters; gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bw horizons 15 to 35 centimeters thick)

C--38 to 85 centimeters; gravelly sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear wavy boundary. (45 to 100 centimeters thick)

Cg--85 to 93 centimeters; gravelly sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; common fine and medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron manganese masses, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry; 25 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 centimeters thick)

Cd--93 to 152 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) gravelly sandy loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few very fine roots in cracks; few fine irregular pores; few coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron-manganese masses in seams, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) dry; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Island County, Washington; 122 meters west and 174 meters south of the northeast corner of section 15, T. 29 N., R. 5 W. Willamette Baseline Meridian; USGS Langley SE, Washington quarter quadrangle; latitude 48 degrees, 10 minutes, 34 seconds N. and longitude 122 degrees, 40 minutes, 44 seconds W. NAD83

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depths to diagnostic horizons and features start from the mineral soil surface.
Mean annual soil temperature - 10 to 11 degrees C.
Moisture control section - dry 60 to 75 days following the summer solstice
Depth to densic contact - 50 to 100 cm
Depth to redoximorphic features - 75 to 100 cm
Reaction - strongly acid to neutral
Particle size control section:
Clay content - 1 to 5 percent
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, and 0 to 35
percent total

A horizon
Value - 2 or 3 moist, 2 to 4 dry
Chroma - 1 or 2 moist or dry
Rock fragments - 15 to 35 percent gravel

Bw horizons
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma - 4 or 5 moist, 5 or 6 dry
Texture - LS, SL, or L
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles, and 0 to 35 percent total

C horizon
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma - 2, 3 or 4 moist or dry
Texture - S or LS
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel

Cg horizon
Value - 4 or 5 moist, 6 or 7 dry
Chroma - 2, 3 or 4 moist or dry
Texture - S or LS
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel
Redoximorphic features: few to common, fine or medium soft iron-manganese masses and common fine iron depletions

Cd horizons
Hue - 2.5y or 5y
Value - 4 to 6 moist, 7 or 8 dry
Texture - L or SL
Rock fragments - 0 to 35 percent gravel

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Uselessbay soils are on summits and shoulders of narrow ridges with elevations from 10 to 100 meters. They formed in sandy glacial outwash over dense glacial drift. These soils are in a mild marine climate with cool, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Mean annual precipitation is 625 to 1150 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 10 degrees C. Frost-free season is 200 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elwha, Utsalady, Indianola, and Sholander soils. Elwha soils are coarse-loamy and occur on convex slopes on summits at elevations above 100 meters. Indianola soils occur on convex hill slopes and terraces and have a sandy control section, lack a densic contact and redoximorphic features. Utsalady soils are on concave and broad flat summits and lack a densic contact. Sholander soils are in concave positions have redoximorphic feature beginning at 20 to 46 cm (somewhat poorly drained).

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; Saturated hydraulic conductivity is high to very high in the A, Bw, C, and Cg horizons, and low in the Cd horizons. Uselessbay soils have a perched water table as high as 30 centimeters from December through March.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, forage crop production, timber production, and homesites. Potential natural vegetation consists of western hemlock, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, swordfern, red huckleberry, evergreen huckleberry, salal, oceanspray and trailing blackberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northwestern Washington; MLRA 2, North. Series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Island County, Washington, proposed 2009. The name comes from a bay in the Puget Sound.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon
Cambic horizon - 8 to 23 cm (Bw1 horizons)
Densic Contact - 93 cm (upper boundary of the Cd horizon)
Particle size control section - the zone from 25 to 93 cm (Bw2, C, and Cg horizons)
Depth to redoximorphic features - 85 cm (Cg horizon)

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.