LOCATION WISHKAH WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, isotic, isomesic Aquandic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Wishkah silty clay loam, on a 1 percent slope under a coniferous forest at 100 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures. When described the soil was moist to 42 inches, wet below.)
01--5 inches to 0; accumulation of partially decomposed needles, twigs, and rotted wood; many fine and medium roots; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--0 to 6 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; many fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; extremely acid (pH 4.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
B21--6 to 10 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silty clay, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; common fine and medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few roots; common fine and very fine tubular and interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
B22--10 to 26 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; common fine and medium distinct yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) mottles; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; extremely acid (pH 4.4) clear smooth boundary. (12 to 22 inches thick)
B23g--26 to 39 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; many fine and medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; moderate fine and very fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; extremely acid (pH 4.4); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
Cg--39 to 60 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) clay, light gray (5Y 7/2) dry; many fine and medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; extremely acid (pH 4.4). TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington; 3 miles southeast of Pacific Beach along the Ocean Beach County Road; 200 feet southeast of the county road B-line logging road intersection; 1,200 feet east and 600 feet north of the SW corner section 25, T.20N., R.12W., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 30 to 55 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 47 to 51 degrees F. The soil is extremely acid or very strongly acid. The particle size control section is 40 to 55 percent clay. Depth to mottles with chroma of 2 or less ranges from 10 to 20 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR moist, 10YR or 2.5Y dry, value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 2 through 4. It has moderate or strong granular or blocky structure.
The B horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 4 through 6 moist, 6 through 8 dry, and chroma of 3 or 4 in the upper part and 1 or 2 in the lower part. It has moderate or strong angular or subangular blocky structure. It is silty clay or clay.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 5Y or is neutral, value of 5 or 6 moist, 6 through 8 dry, and chroma of 0 through 2. It is silty clay or clay. Some pedons contain as much as 50 percent coarse fragments and are stratified with coarser textures at a depth greater than 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the closely similar Aabab, Berlin, Cloquallum and Grande Ronde series. Aabab and Cloquallum soils are fine, silty. Berlin soils have illitic mineralogy. Grande Ronde soils are very fine.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wishkah soils are in large basins and along small drainageways on piedmont glacial outwash plains. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. These soils formed in glacial lacustrine sediments. Elevations range from 50 to 500 feet. They are in a coastal marine climate with cool, wet winters and cool, dry summers. The annual precipitation ranges from 80 to 130 inches. The mean January temperature is 38 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is 59 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F.) is 180 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Calawah, Copalis, Hoquiam, Mopang, and Nemah soils. All these soils are well drained except Nemah. Nemah soils have an aquic moisture regime and have a matrix chroma of 2 or less at a depth of less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for timber production. Small areas have been cleared and drained for pasture. Major tree species are western hemlock, western red cedar, and Sitka spruce. Understory species include salal, evergreen huckleberry, red huckleberry, western swordfern, deer fern and salmonberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal areas of Southwest Washington. These soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County (Grays Harbor County Area), Washington, 1970.
REMARKS: Classification only changed 4/94 because of recent amendments to Soil Taxonomy.