LOCATION YAXON WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Yaxon silt loam on a 30 percent northeast facing slope in a summer fallow wheat field at approximately 2,000 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; few fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.
A--8 to 20 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 20 inches)
Bt1--20 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; common fine tubular pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; very few hard nodules; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--30 to 50 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; very few hard nodules; few grain coatings on ped surfaces; few faint clay films on faces of peds; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 14 to 26 inches)
C--50 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8)
TYPE LOCATION: Chelan County, Washington; 3 miles northwest of Wenatchee; 1,400 feet north and 800 feet east of southwest corner of sec. 25 T. 23 N., R. 19 E., W. M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Average annual soil temperature at 20 inches depth ranges from 49 to 52 degrees F. These soils are dry in the moisture control section for 90 to 100 days following the summer solstice. The control section averages 0 to 15 percent coarse fragments and 20 to 35 percent clay. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 32 inches thick and although dark colors occur below this depth, the organic carbon content is less than 1 percent.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist. It has weak or moderate structure. Below 8 inches it is loam or silt loam. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The Bt horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 through 6 moist or dry. Texture is loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam. Structure is moderate or strong subangular blocky.
Some pedons have a Bk or BC horizon directly underlying the Bt. It is loam or sandy loam and is gravelly in some pedons. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist. Texture is loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam. This horizon is absent in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Banning,
Blockhouse (T),
Coolbrith,
Dotta,
Drews,
Gorman,
Harriman,
Pumphouse (T),
Robinette (T),
Supan,
Van Dusen,
Waha,
Wapinitia and
Wockum series. Banning soils have few to common mottles with chroma of 3 or more in the lower part of the A horizon and the upper part of the B horizon and are somewhat poorly drained. Blockhouse soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days and have few distinct mottles in the lower part of the argillic horizon and are moderately well drained. Coolbrith soils are dry from June 15 to November 15 and are above 41 degrees F. year around and above 47 degrees F.
f.om April 1 to November 1. Dotta soils are slightly acid or neutral in the upper horizons and mildly acid or moderately acid in lower horizons. Drews soils are dry for 100 to 115 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Gorman soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 57 degrees F. and are not usually below 47 degrees F. until January. Harriman soils have diatomaceous material in the particle-size control section. Pumphouse soils are dry in the moisture control section for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Robinette soils have discontinuities in the series control section and are neutral in the argillic horizon. Van Dusen soils have significant mica sand grains and lack hard nodules in the argillic horizon. Waha soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Wapinitia soils are dry for 60 to 90 consecutive days and have solum thickness of 20 to 36 inches. Wockum soils are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Yaxon soils are on broad summits, shoulders, hillsides, and toeslopes at elevations of l,000 to 4,200 feet. Slopes are 8 to 65 percent. These soils formed in residuum from sandstone or schist mixed with loess in the surface. They are in a climate with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The average January temperature is about 24 degrees F; average July temperature is about 68 degrees F; average annual air temperature is about 49 degrees F. The average annual precipitation ranges from l2 to l6 inches. The frost-free season ranges from 120 to l75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bjork, Cle Elum, Cowiche, Morical, Oldbutte and Yaxing soils. Bjork soils are on mountainsides and Morical soils are on foothills and both are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Cle Elum soils are on foothills and lack a mollic epipedon. Cowiche soils are on uplands and are usually dry. Oldbutte soils are on mountain sideslopes and are ultic. Yaxing soils are on hills and are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to very rapid runoff, moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Small grain in a summer fallow system, range, hay, wildlife habitat, recreation and watershed. Vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, balsamroot, buckwheat, three-tip sagebrush, and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral Washington. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chelan County, Washington, l969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the surface to 30 inches and an argillic horizon from 20 to 50 inches. The base saturation (sum of cations) in the upper 30 inches is estimated to be more than 75 percent throughout.