LOCATION WELLSFAR WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic Vitrixerandic Haplocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Wellsfar gravelly ashy sandy loam, on a west-facing 40 percent slope, at 6,020 feet elevation, under a subalpine fir, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine canopy. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oe--0 to 2 inches; moderately decomposed needles and twigs, abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A--2 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine pores; 25 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--5 to 10 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine pores; 30 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Bw2--10 to 18 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots and few medium roots; few fine pores; 40 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 17 inches thick)
2C--18 to 27 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; 50 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
2Cr--27 inches; weathered granite
TYPE LOCATION: Okanogan County, Washington; about 14 miles west of the town of Loomis; 2,600 feet west and 500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 33, T. 39 N., R. 23 E. (Latitude 48 degrees, 50 minutes, 29 seconds N., Longitude 118 degrees, 30 minutes, 12 seconds W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. The mean summer soil temperature is 42 to 46 degrees F. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The upper 7 to 14 inches has an estimated 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 1.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples. Depth to a paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 60 percent rock fragments and 3 to 8 percent clay.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist.
The Bw1 horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. It has 15 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
The 2Bw2 horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. It is very gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly coarse sandy loam. It has 35 to 50 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The 2C horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 4 through 6 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry or moist. It is sandy loam or coarse sandy loam and is very gravelly or very cobbly. It has 35 to 55 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Karu, Verhart, Volmont, and Winsand series. Karu soils are very deep. Verhart, and Volmont soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Winsand soils are 40 to 60 inches to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wellsfar soils are on backslopes, shoulders, and broad ridges of mountains. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from granitic rock with a component of volcanic ash in the upper part. Slopes are 15 to 65 percent. Elevations range from 4,900 to 6,200 feet. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers. Average annual precipitation ranges from 25 to 35 inches. Average January temperature ranges from 18 to 22 degrees F.; Average July temperature ranges from 52 to 58 degrees F.; and the average annual air temperature is about 35 to 40 degrees F. The frost free season is 60 to 85 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Devore, Dodd, Myerscreek, Sitdown, and Treebutte soils. Devore soils are 20 to 40 inches to hard bedrock. Dodd soils are 10 to 20 inches to hard bedrock. Myerscreek soils are moderately deep to densic material. Sitdown soils are sandy-skeletal. Treebutte soils are 14 to 20 inches deep to lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principle uses are timber production, wildlife habitat, watershed, livestock grazing, and recreation. Native vegetation includes subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, grouse blueberry, heartleaf arnica, sidebells pyrola, and silky lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Okanogan National Forest, Okanogan County, Washington, 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this soil are an ochric epipedon with a component of volcanic ash from 2 to 5 inches, a cambic horizon with a component of volcanic ash from 5 to 10 inches, a paralithic contact with weathered granitic rock at 27 inches, and a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section.
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.