LOCATION WENATCHEE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aridic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wenatchee silt loam - on a 3 percent slope in an irrigated pear orchard at 850 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
A--10 to 14 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) heavy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; common fine and medium pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 26 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; common fine and medium pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--26 to 36 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; few fine and very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C--36 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) heavy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; 1.5 miles east of Cashmere, 300 feet east and 50 feet north of southwest corner, sec. 2, T. 23 N., R. 19 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches ranges from 50 to 54 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in the moisture control section. The mollic epipedon is 8 to 18 inches thick. Content of coarse fragments in the particle-size control section is 5 to 15 percent. Reaction is neutral or mildly alkaline throughout. The A horizon has chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. Content of coarse fragments ranges from 0 to 10 percent.
The Bt horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist. Content of coarse fragments is 5 to 15 percent and clay content is 25 to 35 percent. Texture is clay loam or sandy clay loam.
The C horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 5 moist. Content of coarse fragments is 5 to 15 percent. Some pedons have a coarse sand, sand, or loamy sand 2C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: Thee are the Bissell, Bjork, Cowiche, Dodes, Indiano, Margerum, Orr, Pahrange, Ralls, Simcoe, Springmeyer, and Uhaldi series. Bissell soils contain mica throughout. Bjork, Dodes, Indiano, Pahrange, Simcoe, and Uhaldi soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact. Cowiche soils have 0 to 5 percent rock fragment in the particle-size control section and formed in loess and residuum in the uplands. Margerum soils have 15 to 35 percent coarse fragments, dominantly pumice in the particle-size control section. Orr soils have 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Ralls soils have 15 to 35 percent basalt fragments in the particle-size control section. Springmeyer soils are friable in the Bt horizon and have 5 to 35 rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wenatchee soils are on terraces and fans at elevations of 700 to 1,150 feet. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in old alluvium mixed with loess and volcanic ash. They are in a climate with warm and dry summers and cold and moist winters. The average annual precipitation ranges from 9 to 12 inches. The mean January temperature is about 25 degrees and the mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from 150 to 185 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beverly, Burch, Cashmere, Cle Elum, and Peshastin soils. Beverly and Peshastin soils lack an argillic horizon and have more than 35 percent coarse fragments in the control section. Burch and Cashmere soils lack an argillic horizon and have less than 18 percent clay in the control section. Cle Elum soils have a xeric moisture regime and have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very slow and slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for orchards and urban development. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, buckwheat, rabbitbrush, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chelan County, Washington, 1918.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 14 inches and an argillic horizon from 14 to 36 inches.