LOCATION ZEEMAL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, mesic, shallow Xereptic Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Zeemal ashy fine sandy loam - cropland on a 3 percent slope at 2,150 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; soft, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 20 percent ashy, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
2AB--8 to 12 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) ashy silt loam, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; moderate thick platy structure; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2Bkqm--12 to 17 inches; gray (2.5Y 6/1) weakly cemented duripan with a laminar cap less than 1.0mm thick, breaking to sandy loam, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; very hard and very firm; common veins and pockets of carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
2Bk--17 to 31 inches; gray (5Y 5/1) silt loam, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few vesicular tubular pores; medium faint filaments of carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
2C1--31 to 33 inches; olive gray (5Y 4/2) loamy fine sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine platy structure; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine irregular pores; disseminated carbonates; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
2C2--33 to 44 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) silty clay loam, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; laminated and varved lacustrine sediments; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine irregular pores; disseminated carbonates; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual irregular boundary. (9 to 13 inches thick)
2C3--44 to 60 inches: gray (5Y 5/1) silt loam, dark olive gray (5Y 3/2) moist; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist iron accumulations; laminated and varved lacustrine sediments; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington. Approximately 7 miles southeast of Mansfield; 1,100 feet south and 1,400 feet east of the northwest corner of section 7, T. 26 N., R. 27 E. (Latitude 47 46 minutes 33 seconds N, Longitude 119 29 minutes 27 seconds W)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The average annual soil temperature is 50 to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually dry in the moisture control section for 105 to 120 consecutive days after the summer solstice. The particle-size control section from the surface to the duripan has moist bulk density of 1.10 to 1.35 g/cc, 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass content, including 5 to 20 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.15 to 0.40 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent, 1 to 5 percent rock fragments, less than 15 percent fine sand or coarser, and an apparent field estimated clay content of 4 to 10 percent. Depth to duripan is 10 to 20 inches. The duripan is weakly or moderately cemented. It is slightly to violently effervescent throughout the profile.
The Ap horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
The 2AB horizon has hue of 5Y to 10YR dry or moist, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma 1 through 3 dry or 2 or 3 moist. Reactions are slightly to moderately alkaline. Textures are ashy silt loam, ashy loam or ashy fine sandy loam.
The 2Bkqm horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 5Y to 10YR dry or moist. Value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 1 through 3 dry, 2 through 4 moist. Reactions are slightly to strongly alkaline.
The 2Bk and 2C1 horizon has hue of 5Y or 10YR dry or moist. Value 5 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 1 through 3 dry, 2 or 3 moist. It is silt loam or loamy fine sand. Reactions are moderately to strongly alkaline.
The 2C horizons have hue of 5Y or 10YR dry, 2.5Y, 5Y or 10YR moist. Value of 4 through 8 dry and 2 through 5 moist. Chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist. Textures are silt loam or silty clay loam with an occasional thin layer of loamy fine sand. Reactions are moderate to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zeemal soils are in glaciolacustrine bottoms and small depressions. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. This soil formed in volcanic ash and pumice mixed with loess overlying glacial lacustrine sediments. Elevation ranges from 2,000 to 2,600 feet. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. Average January temperature is 27 degrees F and average July temperature is 71 degrees F. Average annual temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. The frost free period is 130 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the DelRio, Ellisforde, Simsfield and St.Andrews soils. The DelRio soils are in channels and lack a duripan. Ellisforde soils are in bottoms and lack duripans. Simsfield soils are in bottoms and are moderately deep to a duripan. St.Andrews soils are on toe slopes and transition areas between glacial till and lacustrine areas and have an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained, very slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability above the duripan and slow through the duripan. Apparent water table is 36 to 60 inches from January to April.
USE AND VEGETATION: Zeemal soils are used mainly for cropland. Wheat is the principal crop. Native vegetation on 0 to 8 percent slopes is basin wildrye, Wyoming big sagebrush, rose, and lupine. Vegetation on 8 to 30 percent slopes is bluebunch wheatgrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, lupine and Sandberg bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Douglas County, Washington. The series is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon with 0.5 to 1.0 percent organic matter and 5 to 20 percent sand-size ash, 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter from the surface to 8 inches, a weakly cemented duripan at 12 to 17 inches. The particle-size control section is the zone from 0 to 12 inches (Ap and 2AB horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL lab data is available pedon number 90P0329.