LOCATION WENNER WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Vitrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Wenner ashy loam - rangeland, on a 30 percent south facing hillslope at an elevation of 2,800 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
A2--5 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
AB--12 to 18 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2Bt1--18 to 25 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderately fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--25 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores, and few distinct clay films on rock fragments; 25 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt3--33 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderately medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 25 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Okanogan County, Washington, about six miles southeast of Twisp, about 1,500 feet east and 1,900 feet south of the northwest corner of section 31, T. 33 N., R. 23 E. (Latitude 48 degrees 19' 04" N., Longitude 120 degrees 00' 24" W.)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. The soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 90 to 100 consecutive days following the summer solstice. The mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 18 inches in thickness and has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.00 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 12 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section averages 20 to 30 percent rock fragments and 20 to 35 percent clay.
The A1 horizon has values of 4 or 5 dry.
The A2 horizon has values of 4 or 5 dry. It is ashy loam or gravelly ashy sandy loam. It has 5 to 15 percent gravel.
The AB horizon has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chromas of 2 or 3 dry. It is ashy sandy loam, gravelly ashy sandy loam, or gravelly ashy loam. It has 5 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
The 2Bt horizons have chromas of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is gravelly clay loam or gravelly sandy clay loam. It has 15 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Georgecreek, Hillcreek, Morical, Mozen (T), Pachneum (T), Ralrock, Rollinger, Shushuskin (T), Teewee (T), Tolius, Umperon, Vanderbilt, Volinger (T), and Wockum series. Georgecreek and Teewee soils are 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact. Tolius soils are dry for 60 to 90 days. Morical soils are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact. Mozen and Shushukin soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact. Pachneum soils are dry for 75 to 90 days. Ralrock and Rollinger soils have secondary carbonates below 24 inches. Hillcreek, Umperon, Vanderbilt and Volinger soils have a mollic epipedon 20 inches or more thick. Wockum soils have 5 to 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wenner soils are on hillslopes and terraces and have slopes of 15 to 65 percent. These soils formed in till and slope alluvium from metamorphic and metaigneous rock with a component of volcanic ash in the upper part. Elevations are 2,400 to 3,500 feet. The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 15 to 18 inches. The average January temperature ranges from 23 to 28 degrees F.; The average July temperature ranges from 63 to 68 degrees F.; and the average annual air temperature is 45 to 52 F.; and the frost free season ranges from 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Storer, Swakane, and Wagberg soils. Storer soils are on south facing backslopes and shoulders of foothills, and are 40 to 60 inches to bedrock. Swakane soils are ridges, shoulders, and upper backslopes of foothills, and are 10 to 20 inches to bedrock. Wagberg soils are on backslopes, toeslopes, and moraines of foothills, and are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, antelope bitterbrush, arrowleaf balsamroot, Idaho fescue, Wyoming big sagebrush, eriogonum, lupine, bulbous bluegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Okanogan County, Washington. The 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 pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 18 inches (A1, A2, and AB horizon)
Argillic horizon - 18 to 60 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3 horizons.)
PSCS - zone from 18 to 38 inches (2Bt1, 2Bt2, and part of 2Bt3 horizon)
Vitrandic feature - 0 to 18 inches (A1, A2, and AB horizon)