LOCATION ALECANYON WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Alecanyon very cobbly ashy fine sandy loam - rangeland on a 5 percent southeast facing slope at 2,440 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 12 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 25 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2AB--12 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm. in diameter; 35 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
2Bq1--22 to 31 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many fine and medium interstitial pores; common distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/3) dry silica coatings on underside of gravel and cobbles; 35 percent gravel and 35 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary.
2Bq2--31 to 60 inches; extremely cobbly multicolored coarse sand; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; common distinct and prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/3) dry coatings of silica on the undersides of gravel and cobbles; 40 percent gravel and 35 percent cobbles: neutral (pH 7.2). (Combined thickness of the 2Bq horizons is 20 to 40 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Washington; about 8 miles west and 4 miles north of the town of Grand Coulee; 2,900 feet north and 400 feet west of the southeast corner of section 10, T. 29 N., R. 29 E. (Latitude 48 degrees 01 minutes, 41 seconds N., Longitude 119 degrees 08 minutes, 53 seconds W.) NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 48 to 52 degrees F.
Moisture control section - dry 90 to 105 days after the summer solstice
Depth to sandy-skeletal material- 10 to 20 inches
Thickness of mollic epipedon - 10 to 20 inches
Clay content - 1 to 8 percent in the particle-size control section
Rock fragment content - 45 to 75 percent in particle-size control section
Surface stones - 0 to 3 percent
Volcanic ash influence thickness - 10 to 20 inches
Estimated properties of the volcanic ash influenced layers:
Volcanic glass content in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction - 5 to 50 percent, including 0 to 15 percent sand-size pumice, 0.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.15 to 0.4 percent
Moist bulk density - 1.15 to 1.35 g/cc
15 bar water retention - 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples
Field estimated clay - 0 to 15 percent
Base Saturation - less than 75 percent (by sum of cations) in one or more horizon between 0 and 30 inches (estimated)
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry
Chroma - 2 or 3 moist
Texture - ashy fine sandy loam, ashy sandy loam, and ashy coarse sandy loam
Gravel content - 10 to 55 percent
Cobble content - 5 to 50 percent
Total rock fragment content- 15 to 60 percent
Sand-size pumice less than 2mm - 0 to 15 percent
Reaction - slightly acid or neutral
BA horizon present in some pedons
2AB horizon
Value - 4 to 6 dry
Texture - loamy coarse sand or coarse sand
Gravel content - 20 to 45 percent
Cobble content - 15 to 40 percent
Total rock fragment content- 35 to 65 percent
Sand-size pumice less than 2mm - 0 to 10 percent
Reaction - slightly acid to slightly alkaline
2BC horizons present in some pedons
2Bq horizons (2C in some pedons)
Value - 5 or 6 dry
Texture - loamy coarse sand or coarse sand
Gravel content - 25 to 75
Cobble content - 5 to 55 percent
Stone Content - 0 to 25 percent
Boulder content - 0 to 10 percent
Total rock fragment content - 45 to 85 percent
Silica Coatings - few to many, distinct to prominent
Calcium Carbonate Equivalent - 0 to 3 percent
Reaction - neutral to slightly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Leiko, Owhi , and Sequim series. Leiko and Owhi soils lack the silica coatings in the subsoil horizons. Sequim soils are dry for 75 to 90 days and are west of the Cascade Mountains
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Alecanyon soils are on treads and risers of glacial outwash terraces, eskers, and moraines on plateaus. These soils formed in glacial outwash, a mixture of loess, volcanic ash and in some areas, pumice. Elevations are 1,000 to 3,100 feet. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 18 inches. Average January temperature is about 26 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 70 degrees F., and average annual air temperature is 46 to 50 degrees F. Frost-free season is 110 to 165 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cachebutte, Cheney, Nemire, and Uhlig soils. Cachebutte soils are on glacial outwash plains and are moderately deep to glacial outwash. Cheney soils are coarse-loamy over sandy skeletal. Nemire soils are in drainageways and are non-skeletal. Uhlig soils are coarse-loamy throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; moderately rapid permeability above the glacial outwash; very rapid through the outwash.
USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and crop production. Winter wheat and barley are the principle crops. Potential natural vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho Fescue, Thurber needlegrass, fleabane, buckwheat, threetip sagebrush and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Douglas and Spokane Counties, Washington; MLRA's 8 and 9. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 12 inches (A horizon) with mollic colors from 12 to 31 inches but less than 0.6 percent organic carbon.
Vitrandic feature - the zone from 0 to 12 inches (A horizon)
Ultic feature - one horizon within the zone from 10 to 30 inches having a base saturation (sum) of less than 75 percent.(estimated)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches with 10 to 12 inches loamy-skeletal (greater than 50 percent fine sand or coarser) and 12 to 40 inches sandy-skeletal
The weighted average of rock fragments is 71 percent.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial NSSL lab data is available for this pedon NSSL pedon number 90P0346 (Sample # S90WA-017-005), Lincoln, NE.