LOCATION ZYZYL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial, ferrihydritic, mesic Typic Fulvudands
TYPICAL PEDON: Zyzyl gravelly loam, on a 68 percent west facing backslope under coniferous forest at 1,220 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures. When described the soil was moist through out.)
01--2 inches to 0; accumulation of leaves, twigs and rotted wood; common fine and very fine roots; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--0 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; strong very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 20 percent soft angular basalt pebbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
B21--7 to 16 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; many very fine, and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent soft angular basalt pebbles; medium acid (pH 5.6); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
B22--16 to 19 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common very fine and fine, and few medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 70 percent soft angular basalt pebbles; medium acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 22 inches thick)
C--29 to 45 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic and weakly smeary; common very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 90 percent soft angular basalt pebbles; medium acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Cr--45 to 60 inches; highly fractured, loose chloritized basalt; fractures are less than 10 centimeters apart; easily dug with a spade.
TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington; about 30 miles north of Montesano; 200 feet uphill from road; 1,700 feet north and 500 feet east of SW corner of section 12, T.21N., R.7W., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 20 to 40 inches thick. Depth to consolidated bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 49 to 52 degrees F. The soil is strongly acid or medium acid.
The A1 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR moist, 7.5YR or 10YR dry, value of 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 or 3. This horizon is 15 to 30 percent soft basalt fragments.
The B2 horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR moist, 7.5YR or 10YR dry, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 2 through 4 moist and 4 through 6 dry. It is very gravelly or extremely gravelly and the fine earth fraction is loam or sandy loam. This horizon is 35 to 80 percent soft basalt fragments.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist and 4 through 6 dry. This horizon is 70 to 95 percent soft basalt fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arta, Astoria, Boistfort, Bunker, Copalis, Elochman, Hoquiam, Ilwaco, Kinney, Knappton, Lebam, Lytell, Makah, Mopang, Narel, Newskah, Oyhut, Palix, Papac, Silcox, Skamo, Vesta, Wallville, Willapa, Zenker and Zyzyl series. Arta soils have less than 15 percent soft rock fragments and have mottles at a depth of 25 to 40 inches. Astoria, Boistfort, Lebam and Vesta soils have 35 or more percent clay and have less than 15 percent rock fragments. Bunker soils lack soft rock fragments and have 15 to 25 percent hard basalt fragments. Copalis and Papac soils have a paralithic contact within a depth of 40 inches. Elochman and Ilwaco soils have less than 15 percent soft sandstone fragments. Hoquiam soils lack soft rock fragments and have 5 to 20 percent hard rock fragments. Kinney soils lack soft rock fragments and have 25 to 35 percent hard rock fragments that are mostly cobbles. Knappton soils lack soft rock fragments and have 15 to 35 percent hard basalt fragments. Lytell and Zenker soils have 35 to 80 percent soft siltstone or sandstone fragments. Makah soils have 15 to 40 percent soft basalt fragments, 15 to 30 percent hard basalt fragments and 4 to 7 percent organic carbon in the upper 2/3 of the control section. Mopang soils lack soft rock fragments and have 5 to 15 percent hard rock fragments. Narel soils have 30 to 70 percent soft sandstone fragments. Newskah soils lack rock fragments. Oyhut soils lack soft rock fragments, have 10 to 35 percent hard rock fragments and have a petroferric contact at a depth of 24 to 40 inches. Palix soils have 20 to 80 percent soft siltstone fragments. Silcox soils lack soft rock fragments and have 10 to 35 percent hard rock fragments. Skamo soils have 35 or more percent clay, less than 10 percent rock fragments and have mottles at a depth of 24 to 40 inches. Wallville soils have 35 to 60 percent soft pyroclastic breccia fragments. Willapa soils lack rock fragments and have mottles at a depth of 18 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Zyzyl soils are on ridgetops and backslopes of mountains. Slopes are 8 to 90 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from highly chloritized Eocene marine basalt along the southern edge of the Olympic Mountains. Elevations range from 600 to 1,800 feet. They are in a humid marine climate with cool, wet winters and relatively cool, dry summers. The annual precipitation ranges from 120 to 180 inches. The mean January temperature is about 38 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is about 62 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F.0 is 200 to 240 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability in the solum and moderately rapid permeability in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Principal uses are timber production, watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. The major tree species are Douglas fir and western hemlock. Minor tree species include Sitka spruce, western red cedar and red alder. Understory species include salal, western swordfern, deer fern, Oregon grape, vine maple, trailing blackberry and red huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Grays Harbor County, Washington. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Classification only changed 4/94 because of recent amendments to Soil Taxonomy.