LOCATION VANEPPS WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, magnesic Andic Dystrocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Vanepps stony sandy loam under a sparse coniferous forest on a 30 percent southeast facing slope at an elevation of 5,650 feet. The soil was dry when described. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
0i & Oe--1/2 to 0 inches; litter; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 1/2 inches thick)
A--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 20 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles (freshrock faces N5/; 5Y 6/4, 5Y 4/3 phenocryists in rocks), 5 percent surface stones; (Na F pH 9.8); slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
2Bw--8 to 28 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) very cobbly loam, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles, (fresh face on rocks N5/; phenocryists 5Y 6/4, 5Y 4/3; weathering rhine, 5Y 5/3); (NaF pH 9.8); slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 30 inches thick)
Cr--28 + inches; weathered serpentine breaking to gray (5Y 5/1), olive gray (5Y 5/2) very cobbly loam, dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; fresh face on rocks 5Y 2/2, weathering rhine 5Y 5/3, few fine distinct (10YR 5/6) weathering pockets on rock fragments; massive very hard, very firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; 25 percent hard pebbles, 25 percent hard cobbles, (NaF pH 9.2); slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 1/4 mile southwest of Gallagher Head Lake; 1,000 feet east and 2,500 feet north of the southwest corner sec. 33, T. 23 N., R. 15 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 42 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts in the moisture control section for 30 to 45 consecutive days during summer and fall. The upper 7 to 10 inches has more than 60 percent volcanic ash in the fine earth fraction.
The A1 horizon has a value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist.
The 2Bw horizon has a hue of 5Y, 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist. It is very cobbly loam, very cobbly sandy loam, or extremely cobbly loam. It averages 15 to 35 percent pebbles and 20 to 35 percent cobbles.
The Cr horizon has a hue of 5Y or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 dry or moist. It is a weathered bedrock that breaks to very cobbly loam or extremely stony sandy loam. It averages 50 to 80 percent hard serpentinite phenocryist rock fragments. It is slightly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the similar Growden series. Growden soils have mixed minerology and are deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vanepps soils are on southerly exposed mountain sides and ridges and have slopes of 25 to 50 percent. They formed in colluvium and residuum from foliated and massive serpentinite, serpentinized peridotite and meta serpentinite with a mantle of volcanic ash. Elevations are 5000 to 6500 feet. The soils are in a continental climate with cool, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 65 to 85 inches. The mean January temperature is about 22 degrees F, and the mean July temperature is about 56 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 38 to 40 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is 80 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elsnor, and Esmeralda soils. Elsnor and Esmeralda soils are medial skeletal and have a spodic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Runoff is rapid. Permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Woodland, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is subalpine fir, white bark pine, and Engelmann spruce with an understory of common juniper, pinemat manzanita, elk sedge and huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in northwest Kittitas County. This series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1981.
REMARKS: Serpentine content by weight is assumed to be more than 40 percent in the particle-size control section. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an umbric epipedon from the mineral surface to 28 inches, a mantle of volcanic ash from the mineral surface to 8 inches, and a paralithic contact at 28 inches.