LOCATION WANSER WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Psammaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Wanser fine sand - grassland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 3 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; few fine dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) redox concentrations; single grain; loose; many very fine roots; high in organic matter; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Cg1--3 to 9 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; common medium dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) redox concentrations; single grain; loose; common very fine roots, slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Cg2--9 to 17 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; many medium and large dark bluish gray (5B 4/1) redox depletions and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) redox concentrations; single grain; loose; common very fine roots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
Cg3--17 to 32 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; common medium dark bluish gray (5B 4/1) redox depletions, single grain; loose; few very fine roots; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 21 inches thick)
Cg4--32 to 69 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) fine sand, gray (10YR 5/1) dry; common medium dark bluish gray (5B 4/1) redox depletions; single grain; loose; common very fine roots; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Grant County, Washington; 200 feet north and 860 feet east of southwest corner sec. 25, T. 18 N., R. 24 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 51 to 54 degrees F. These soils are always moist and the water table is within a few inches of the surface at some period of the year or the soils are artificially drained. Reaction ranges from moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline and same subhorizon is strongly alkaline within a depth of 40 inches. Effervescence is none to violent in any one horizon. The particle-size control section ranges from sand to loamy fine sand.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3 moist and dry.
The Cg horizon has value of 3 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry and is mottled in most pedons. It is fine sand, loamy fine sand, or sand.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arloval, Carrolls, Conrad, Forbar, Gothenburg, Heceta, Hovde, Junius, Stafford, Tryon, and Tyre series Arloval soils have a mean annual temperature of 47 to 51 degrees F. and lack horizons within a depth of 40 inches that are strongly alkaline. Carrolls soils are slightly acid or neutral throughout and average 5 to 20 percent volcanic glass in the particle-size control section. Conrad and Tryon soils are neutral or mildly alkaline. Forbar soils have a mean annual soil temperature that ranges from 48 to 51 degrees F. Gothenburg soils have a 2C horizon at 3 to 20 inches that is 10 to 35 percent gravel. Heceta soils are slightly acid or medium acid. Hovde soils are slightly acid to mildly alkaline and have hue of 2.5Y, 5Y, or neutral in the C horizon. Junius soils have neutral to medium acid A horizons and slightly acid to mildly alkaline B horizons. Stafford soils have a slightly acid to extremely acid B horizon. Tyre soils have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches and are neutral to strongly acid.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wanser soils are on flood plains or in depressional areas. Slopes are 0 to 12 percent. Elevations range from 300 to 1,200 feet. The soils formed in sand from mixed sources. Wanser soils formed in an arid climate with dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 9 inches. Average January temperature is 29 degrees F, average July temperature is 76 degrees F, and average annual temperature is 48 to 53 degrees F. Frost-free season is 120 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Quincy and Winchester series. Quincy and Winchester soils are excessively drained and lack redoximorphic features.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; medium to slow runoff; rapid permeability. An apparent high water tables is at 6 to 12 inches from May to November.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for pasture, range, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is sedges, inland saltgrass, rushes, bluegrass, and witchgrass, and some willow and Russian-olive.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington and north- central Oregon. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grant County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 3 inches, and a sandy particle-size control section from 10 to 40 inches that has chromas of 2 or less.