LOCATION WEATHERWAX WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial-skeletal, ferrihydritic Lithic Haplocryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Weatherwax extremely gravelly medial sandy loam- forestland, on a 33 percent northwest-facing slope at an elevation of 2,710 feet in a mountain hemlock/Alaska huckleberry plant association. (When described on August 16, 1991 the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 3 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, twigs, and wood fragments; abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
A--3 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; weak very fine and fine granular and weak very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 11 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) dry; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; weakly smeary; many very fine and common fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
R--11 inches; hard marine basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Mason County, Washington, about 0.5 mile northeast of Chapel Peak, about 1800 feet west and 1850 feet south of the northeast corner of section 31, T. 23 N., R. 6 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 26 minutes, 41 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 29 minutes, 29 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature at the lithic contact is 41 to 43 degrees F. Mean summer soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. Mean winter soil temperature is 37 to 41 degrees F. These soils are usually moist and have a surplus of available water on a monthly basis throughout the year; perudic moisture regime. Depth to bedrock is 4 to 10 inches. The particle-size control section from the mineral soil surface to the bedrock contact has andic soil properties with an estimated moist bulk density of 0.30 to 0.70 g/cc, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 2 to 3 percent, phosphate retention of 85 to 100 percent, 15-bar water retention of 25 to 50 percent for air dried samples and 60 to 90 percent rock fragments by volume. Acid oxalate extractable iron is 2 to 3 percent. Organic matter is 15 to 40 percent. It has 2 to 12 cmol/kg of aluminum.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 3 or 4 dry.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 3 or 4 moist and 4 or 6 dry. It is extremely gravelly medial sandy loam, extremely cobbly medial sandy loam, or extremely cobbly medial loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buckman, Bungalow, Constance, Graves and Yellowstone series. Bungalow, Constance and Graves soils have a udic moisture regime. Yellowstone soils have an umbric epipedon. Buckman soils have 1 to 2 cmol/kg of aluminum (non-alic).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Weatherwax soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes are 30 to 100 percent. The soils are formed in colluvium from marine basalt and associated volcanic rocks. Elevations are 2,500 to 4,200 feet. Average annual precipitation is 100 to 230 inches. Average annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. Frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Litchy, Merriman and Quitter soils. Litchy soils are on glacial cirques and are 20 to 40 inches to a cemented layer. Merriman and Quitter soils are on mountain slopes and are moderately deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is mountain hemlock, Pacific silver fir, Alaska yellowcedar, western hemlock, oval-leaf huckleberry, Alaska huckleberry, fool's huckleberry, queencup beadlily, five-leaved bramble, and mosses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Olympic Mountains of Mason and Grays Harbor Counties, Washington; MLRA 3. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mason County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon, andic soil properties from 3 to 11 inches, and a lithic contact at 11 inches. The particle-size control section is from 3 to 11 inches (A and Bw horizons). This soil has a perudic moisture regime. The soil meets all requirements for Fulvi great group except for thickness, and meets Alic subgroup requirements.