LOCATION WILLIWAKAS              WA

Established Series
IRD. PHR/TMR/MPR
07/2017

WILLIWAKAS SERIES

Landscape--Cascade Mountains
Landform--depressions, swales, cirques, parklands
Slope--0 to 15 percent
Parent material--volcanic ash
Mean annual precipitation--about 2270 mm
Mean annual air temperature--about 4 degrees C
Depth class--very deep
Drainage class--poorly drained
Soil moisture regime--aquic
Soil temperature regime--cryic
Soil moisture subclass--typic

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, glassy, acid Typic Cryaquands

TYPICAL PEDON: Williwakas medial sandy loam in a depression of a meadow on a south-facing parkland with a slope of 1 percent and at an elevation of 1735 m (When described on September 28, 2011, the soil was moist to a depth of 83 cm and saturated below that depth.)

Oi--0 to 2 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.5); clear wavy boundary

A1--2 to 14 cm; medial sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear irregular boundary

A2--14 to 26 cm; medial loamy sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent fine faint irregular dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 5 percent fine distinct irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear irregular boundary

A3--26 to 36 cm; medial sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent fine faint irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 10 percent fine faint irregular dark brown (10YR 3/3) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 10 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary

Bg1--36 to 43 cm; medial fine sandy loam, light gray (10YR 7/2) dry, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine faint irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 10 percent fine prominent irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary

Bg2--43 to 55 cm; medial sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent fine faint irregular grayish brown (10YR 5/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 10 percent fine faint irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary

Bg3--55 to 65 cm; medial loamy sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) dry, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine distinct irregular dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 30 percent fine faint irregular dark brown (10YR 3/3) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent pumice paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary

Bg4--65 to 150 cm; medial sandy loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine faint irregular very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) iron depletions with clear boundaries in matrix and 30 percent fine distinct irregular dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4)

TYPE LOCATION: Pierce County, Washington, on Mazama Ridge between Paradise Creek and Stevens Creek, about 1.3 km east of the Paradise Ranger Station in Mount Rainier National Park; about 200 m north and 5 m west of the southeast corner of section 18, T. 15 N., R. 9 E., Willamette Meridian; Mount Rainier East, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle; latitude 46.785581 degrees north, longitude -121.718883 degrees west, datum WGS 84 (coordinates determined with a GPS)

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--2 to 8 degrees C
Depth to redoximorphic iron depletions--at the soil surface to a depth of 25 cm below
Thickness of umbric epipedon--25 to 50 cm

All mineral horizons
*Volcanic glass content--50 to 75 percent
*Ammonium oxalate Al plus 1/2 Fe--greater than 0.4 percent

Particle-size control section
*Clay content--1 to 10 percent
*Pararock and rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent total, with pumice paragravel typically in upper part of profile and andesite gravel and cobbles in lower part in some areas

O horizon
*In lieu of texture--slightly decomposed plant material, moderately decomposed plant material
*Thickness--0 to 5 cm

A1 horizon
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--2 or 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
*Chroma--1 or 2 moist or dry
*Reaction--4.5 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--medial sandy loam, medial loamy sand
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 15 percent pumice paragravel
*Thickness--5 to 15 cm

A2 and A3 horizons
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--2 to 3 moist, 3 to 5 dry
*Chroma--1 to 2 moist or dry
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--medial loamy sand, medial sandy loam, medial coarse sandy loam
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 30 percent pumice paragravel
*Combined thickness--20 to 40 cm

Bg1 and Bg2 horizons
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--3 to 5 moist, 4 to 7 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--medial fine sandy loam, medial sandy loam, medial loamy sand
*Pararock fragment content--0 to 30 percent pumice paragravel
*Combined thickness--15 to 30 cm

Bg3 and Bg4 horizons
*Hue--10YR, 7.5YR
*Value--3 to 5 moist, 4 to 6 dry
*Chroma--2 to 4 moist or dry
*Reaction--5.0 to 5.5
*Fine-earth texture--medial loamy sand, medial sandy loam, medial fine sandy loam
*Pararock and rock fragment content--0 to 35 percent total, including 0 to 30 percent pumice paragravel and 0 to 10 percent gravel
*Combined thickness--60 to 110 cm

COMPETING SERIES:
Mysticlake--aquic conditions with an upper limit of 25 cm from the mineral soil surface; lithologic discontinuity
Wahpenayo--lithic contact at 50 to 100 cm (moderately deep); aquic conditions with an upper limit of 25 cm from the mineral soil surface

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Elevation--1150 to 2140 m
Climate--cool, dry summers; cold, wet winters
Mean annual precipitation--1345 to 3175 mm
Mean annual air temperature--1 to 7 degrees C
Frost-free period--30 to 60 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Littletahoma--no aquic condition; on steeper slopes of cirques and glacial valley walls
Burroughs--lithic contact at a depth of 50 to 100 cm (moderately deep); no aquic conditions; on steeper slopes of cirques and glacial valley walls
Tatoosh--lithic contact at a depth of 25 to 50 cm (shallow); no aquic conditions; on steeper slopes of cirques, glacial valley walls, and ridges
Chenuis--greater than 35 percent rock fragments by weighted average in the particle-size control section; no aquic conditions; on steeper slopes of debris aprons and glacial valley walls
Mountwow--aquic conditions with an upper limit of 25 cm from the mineral soil surface; in similar landform positions
Wahpenayo--lithic contact at a depth of 50 to 100 cm (moderately deep); aquic conditions with an upper limit of 25 cm from the mineral soil surface; in similar landform positions
Ghost--organic parent material with bands of volcanic ash; in similar low-lying landform positions
Mysticlake--aquic conditions with an upper limit of 25 cm from the mineral soil surface; in similar landform positions under coniferous overstory
Unicornpeak, Ipsut, Owyhigh, Tipsoo--albic and spodic horizons; on steeper slopes of debris aprons, cirques, and glacial valley walls under coniferous overstory

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained
Saturation in normal years--endosaturated to the surface in November through May and below a depth of 20 cm in August through October
Flooding--none
Frequency of ponding--rare
Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat)--high or very high throughout

USE AND VEGETATION:
Use--wildlife habitat
Potential natural vegetation--false hellebore, black alpine sedge, white marsh marigold, mountain sedge, tufted hairgrass, subalpine spirea, broadpetal gentian, willow

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Cascade Mountains, Washington; MLRA 3; small extent

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington; 2014; name from Williwakas Creek in Mount Rainier National Park

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and other features in this pedon
*Particle-size control section--zone from 2 to 102 cm
*Umbric epipedon--zone from 2 to 36 cm
*Cambic horizon--zone from 36 to 55 cm and from 65 to 150 cm
*Andic soil properties--zone from 2 to 150 cm
*Volcanic glass--zone from 2 to 150 cm
*Redoximorphic iron depletions with chroma of 2 or less--zone from 14 to 150 cm
*Redoximorphic iron concentrations--zone from 14 to 150 cm
*Distinguishable tephra layers--Mount St. Helens Wn tephra (A1 and A2 horizons), Mount Rainier C tephra (A3 horizon), Mount St. Helens P tephra (Bg1 horizon), Mount St. Helens Yn tephra (Bg3 horizon)

3/2017--This official series description was updated according to SSR1 Technical Note 11--Content and Format of Official Series Descriptions (revised 12/2015). Most of the changes were in formatting; no major technical changes were made.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.