LOCATION WELLESLEY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Aquultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Wellesley very gravelly sandy loam - forestland, on a 55 percent slope with a southeasterly aspect at an elevation of 2,840 feet in a Douglas-fir/creambush oceanspray-baldhip rose plant association. (When described on October 29, 1993, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs; clear smooth boundary. (0.5 to 2 inches thick)
E--2 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
B/E--7 to 14 inches; 75 percent light brown (7.5Y 6/4)(B) and 25 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) (E) very gravelly sandy loam; weak very fine and fine subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular and common fine irregular pores; 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 31 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam; few fine distinct pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) redox depletions; weak very fine, fine, and medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--31 to 43 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam; weak very fine, fine, medium subangular blocky and weak very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation with clear boundaries in the matrix; few fine distinct light gray (2.5Y 7/2) irregularly shaped iron depletions with clear boundaries in the matrix; 35 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 28 to 37 inches.)
2Cdt--43 to 62 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) very gravelly sandy loam; massive structure; hard, brittle, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; few distinct clay films on faces of structural units; few fine faint reddish yellow (7.5Y 6/6) irregularly shaped masses of iron accumulation with diffuse boundaries in the matrix; 25 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Clallam County, Washington, about 2 miles south of Three O'Clock Ridge, about 1,230 feet south and 440 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 25, T. 28 N., R. 3 W. (Latitude 47 degrees, 53 minutes, 37 seconds N., Longitude 123 degrees, 07 minutes, 09 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days in the 4 months following the summer solstice. Depth to dense till is 40 to 60 inches. The particle-size control section has 40 to 80 percent rock fragments by volume. Depth to redox features having chroma of 2 or less is 20 to 30 inches.
The E horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry and 3 or 4 moist.
The B/E horizon for the B portion has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR dry and moist, value of 5 or 6 dry, and 4 or 5 dry. The E portion has value of 6 or 7 dry. It is very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly loam, or extremely gravelly sandy loam. It has 7 to 18 percent clay.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y moist, value of 6 or 7 dry and 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 4 or 5 dry and 4 or 6 moist. It is very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, or very gravelly loam. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid. Base saturation by sum of cations is 50 to 85 percent with some part being less than 75 percent. It has 10 to 25 percent clay.
The 2Cdt horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry. It is very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly loamy sand, or extremely gravelly sandy loam. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid. It has moist bulk density of 1.50 to 2.00 g/cc.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wellesley soils are on glacial valleys. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from alpine and continental till. Elevations are 2,150 to 3,500 feet. Average annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 60 inches. Average annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 160 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonjon, Graywolf, Juandefuca, Pennycreek, Slidecamp, and Tunnelcreek soils. Bonjon soils are on glacial valleys and have a udic moisture regime. Graywolf and Slidecamp soils are on low relief, dissected uplands and are very deep. Juandefuca, Pennycreek, and Tunnelcreek soils are on mountain slopes and are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderate permeability above the till and slow through the till. Wellesley soils have a perched zone of saturation above the densic material from December through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: Timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western hemlock, creambush oceanspray, common snowberry, Oregon-grape, baldhip rose, salal, western fescue, and Pacific rhododendron.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Clallam County, Washington; MLRA 2. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clallam County, Washington, 2000; Olympic National Forest.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are the following:
Ochric epipedon
Glossic horizon - 7 to 14 inches (B/E horizon)
Argillic horizon - 14 to 43 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Densic layer - 43 to 62 inches (2Cdt layer)
PSCS - zone from 14 to 34 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
This soil has a xeric moisture regime.
Aquultic subgroup - redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less occur at 31 inches or 29 inches from the mineral soil surface. Base saturation by sum of cations is assumed to be less than 75 percent in some part of the argillic horizon.
All depths to diagnostic horizons and other features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.