LOCATION VOLINGER WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Volinger silt loam - cultivated, on a 7 percent southeast-facing slope at an elevation of 2,560 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
A--5 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent very coarse cylindrical cicada cast; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
AB--14 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent very coarse cylindrical cicada cast; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
2Bt1--17 to 27 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam,
dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots in vertical seams and in rodent cast, common very fine roots between peds and few very fine roots inside peds; common very fine tubular and very fine irregular pores; common distinct pressure faces on peds and few faint clay bridging in pores; 90 percent very coarse intersecting cylindrical cicada cast; neural (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--27 to 39 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine roots in vertical seams and rodent cast, common very fine roots between peds and few very fine roots inside peds; common very fine tubular and very fine irregular pores; common distinct pressure faces on peds and few faint clay bridging pores; 35 percent very coarse intersecting cylindrical cicada casts; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined 2Bt horizon is 18 to 28 inches thick)
2Bwb--39 to 50 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; common vertical areas compacted by cicada that are 4 to 7 inches in diameter; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (11 to 17 inches thick)
2Btb--50 to 58 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; few faint pressure faces on peds and few faint clay bridging in pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2Btkb--58 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; few distinct lime coats in pores and very few faint lime coats on upper surface of peds; few faint pressure faces on peds and few faint clay bridging in pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington, about 7 1/2 miles south of Ellensburg, about 2,100 feet west and 100 feet north of the southeast corner of section 5, T. 16 N., R. 18 E.; USGS Ellensburg South, Wash. topographic quadrangle; Latitude 46 degrees, 53 minutes, 55 seconds N. and Longitude 120 degrees, 35 minutes, 57 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 to 54 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 90 to 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches and includes part of argillic horizon. The upper 12 to 19 inches has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.30 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 0.7 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section averages 27 to 33 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Organic matter is estimated to range from 2 to 3 percent in the Ap horizon. Depth to secondary carbonates is 43 to 60 inches.
The A and A2 horizons are loam or silt loam.
The AB horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry. It is a loam or silt loam.
The 2Bt horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry. It is a clay loam or silty clay loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Bwb horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry. It is a loam or silt loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The 2Btb horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is a loam, silt loam or silty clay loam. It is neutral or slightly alkaline. The 2Btb horizon is absent in some pedons.
The 2Btk horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. It is a loam, silt loam or silty clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Georgecreek,
Glenrose,
Morical,
Mozen(T),
Pachneum(T),
Ralock,
Rollinger,
Shushuskin(T),
Teewee(T),
Tolius,
Umperon(T) and
Wockum series. Georgecreek soils are 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact, have mollic epipedon 8 to 16 inches thick and are dry for 75 to 90 days. Glenrose soils have a mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick, average less than 25 percent clay in the fine earth fraction, lack secondary carbonates and are dry for 60 to 75 days. Morical soils lack secondary carbonates and are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. Mozen soils are 25 to 40 inches to a
lithic contact and have secondary carbonates at a depth of 23 to 35 inches. Pachneum and Umperon soils are greater than 60 inches to secondary carbonates and are dry for 75 to 90 days. Ralock soils have 15 to 30 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, have secondary carbonates at a depth of 24 to 38 inches and are dry for 100 to 120 days. Rollinger soils have secondary carbonates at a depth of 28 to 43 inches and are dry for 100 to 120 days. Shushuskin soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact and are dry for 75 to 90 days. Teewee soils are 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact and have mollic epipedon less than 20 inches thick. Tolius soils are greater than 60 inches to secondary carbonates and have horizons that have 10 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles. Wockum soils are greater than 60 inches to secondary carbonates and have 5 to 15 percent rock fragment in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Volinger soils are on hillslopes and have slopes of 5 to 30 percent. These soils formed in loess mixed with volcanic ash in the surface and slope alluvium. Elevations are 2,400 to 2,800 feet. These soils are in a semiarid climate with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Average January temperature is about 25 degrees F. and average July temperature is about 69 degrees F. Average annual temperature is 46 to 52 degrees F. The frost-free season is 120 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Mozen soils and the Argabak, Camaspatch and Yrtneg soils. Mozen soils are on hillslopes, dissected plateaus and piedmont slopes. Argabak soils are on ridgetops and benches and have a lithic contact at a depth of 5 and 10 inches. Camaspatch soils are on ridges, hillslopes, plateaus and structural benches and have 35 to 50 percent clay in particle-size control section. Yrtneg soils are on hillslopes, dissected plateaus and piedmont slopes and have lithic contact at a depth of 12 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for dryland cropland, livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Wyoming big sagebrush and threetip sagebrush..
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kittitas County, Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1997. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 39 inches or more (Ap, A, AB and 2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - 17 to 39 inches and 50 to 60 inches (2Bt Lakedale-Wisconsin Age soil, 2Btb and 2Btkb horizons).
PSCS - zone from 17 to 37 inches (2Bt1 and most of the 2Bt2 horizons).
Vitrandic feature - 0 to 17 inches (Ap, A, and AB horizons)