LOCATION WENAS WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wenas silt loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silt loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate coarse granular structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many roots; common fine pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches)
BA--8 to 28 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium and fine prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common roots; many fine pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick)
Bg--28 to 37 inches; dark gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few distinct fine light brown (10YR 6/4) concentrations; moderate subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common roots; many fine pores; neutral (pH 7.3); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 43 inches thick)
BC--37 to 47 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; common medium prominent reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) concentrations; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common roots; common medium pores; neutral (pH 7.3); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
2C1--47 to 55 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; many medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/8) concentrations; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; 5 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2C2--55 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly loamy sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few fine faint olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) concentrations; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent pebbles; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington; 400 feet east and 700 feet north of the southwest corner of section 12, T.14N., R.18E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to over 60 inches. The mollic epipedon is 24 to 35 inches thick. The organic carbon has an irregular decrease with increasing depth. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 to 50 degrees F. These soils are saturated with water at some period during the year, if not artificially drained. The soils are neutral or mildly alkaline. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay and more than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Rock fragments within the particle-size control section from a 0 to 15 percent. Depth to the 2C horizon is 40 to over 60 inches. Depth to redox concentrations is 10 to 30 inches.
The A and BA horizon have value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 dry and moist. The BA horizon when present is silt loam or clay loam.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry and has few to common distinct and prominent mottles. It is loam, clay loam or silty clay loam with thin horizons of sandy loam or fine sandy loam. This horizon has moderate subangular blocky or prismatic structure.
The BC or BCg horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. It is loam or sandy loam and contains 0 to 25 percent gravel.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is loamy sand and contains 5 to 50 percent gravel.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Coland, Comfrey, Delft, Excello, Glencoe, James Canyon, Keddie, Kimmerling, and Romnell series. The Coland, Comfrey, Delft, Glencoe and Romnell series have peak periods of precipitation in the spring and summer. Coland soils have a mollic epipedon 36 to 48 inches thick. Comfrey soils have a mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline C horizon that contains free carbonates. Delft soils have free carbonates at a depth of 24 to 36 inches. Glencoe soils have a hue of 5Y or 2.5Y in the B horizon. James Canyon soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Kimmerling soils have a mollic epipedon 40 to 50 inches thick. Excello soils have a mean annual temperature of over 54 degrees F. Romnell soils have hue at 2.5Y or 5Y in the solum and have a C horizon with bulk density of about 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter. Keddie soils average 40 to 50 percent sand in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: These soils are on bottomlands. Slopes are 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in mixed recent alluvium. The soils occur at elevations of 1,100 to 1,800 feet in Washington and up to 3,900 feet in Oregon in a semiarid climate. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The frost free season is 130 to 150 days in Washington and down to 80 days in Oregon.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kittitas, Logy, Toppenish, Track, and Yakima soils. Kittitas soils are very strongly alkaline. Logy and Track soils are loamy, skeletal. Topppenish soils have a mollic epipedon less than 24 inches thick. Yakima soils are coarse, loamy over sandy or sandy, skeletal and are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly or poorly drained; slow to very slow runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: When the soils are drained and irrigated, crops grown are alfalfa, wheat, corn, and pasture. In natural conditions the soil is used for the production of native range. Native vegetation is water tolerant grasses and basin giant wildrye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South Central Washington; and Central Oregon MLRA 10. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1937.