LOCATION KUSSHI WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kusshi fine sandy loam, 50 percent slope, on an east facing hillslope, grazeable woodland with Oregon white oak and scattered ponderosa pine at an elevation of 3,000 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi1--0 to 0.75 inches; oak leaves over a thin layer of volcanic ash (0 to 2 inches thick)
Oi2--0.75 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed oak leaves. (0 to 2 inches thick)
A1--2 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)
A2--6 to 10 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular block structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
BAt--10 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; few thin clay films in pores, common colloidal staining; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Bt1--16 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine pores; few moderately thick clay films in pores, common thin clay films on ped faces; 40 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--25 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bt3--42 to 62 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many very fine pores; common moderately thick clay films in pores; 60 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5). (5 to 15 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Yakama Nation; Yakima County, Washington; about 10 miles northeast of White Swan, 800 feet west and 700 feet south of the northeast corner of sec. 3, T. 11 N., R. 15 E, WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist, but are dry in the moisture control section for 75 to 90 consecutive days following summer solstice. Depth to basalt is more than 60 inches. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 80 percent coarse fragments. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 47 to 50 degrees F. Some pedons have .01 to 0.1 percent of the surface covered with stones. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick.
The A horizon has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, and 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3, dry or moist. Textures are fine sandy loam, gravelly silt loam, cobbly loam, or very cobbly loam.
The Bt horizon has a hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, values of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4, dry or moist. It is less than 1 percent organic matter. It is very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam, very cobbly loam, extremely gravelly loam, very cobbly clay loam, or very gravelly clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baboon, Badge, Collard, Dixiejett, Goodnoe, Granidry, Hooverton, Phys, Ridd, and Whitinger soils. Baboon soils are 40 to 60 inches to bedrock, are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline in the argillic horizon, and have a moisture regime that is xeric bordering aridic. Badge soils are mildly alkaline in the Bt horizons, and are dry for 90 to 150 days. Collard soils have an argillic horizon that is 9 inches thick and have very cobbly loamy sand textures in the lower part of the profile. Dixiejett soils are 40 to 60 inches to bedrock, and depth to the base of the argillic horizon is 25 to 40 inches. Goodnoe soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock and are dry for 90 to 105 days. Granidry soils have weathered bedrock at 10 to 20 inches. Hooverton, Ridd, and Whitniger soils are 20 to 40 inches to bedrock. Phys soils have an argillic horizon 4 to 8 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kusshi soils are on ridges and canyon sideslopes at elevations of 1,750 to 4,000 feet. Slopes are 12 to 60 percent. The climate is semi-arid with warm, dry summers and cool winters. Mean annual precipitation is 18 to 22 inches. Average annual air temperature is 46 to 49 degrees F. Frost-free season is 100 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Badge soils, and the Lyville, McDaniels, and Rockly soils. Lyville soils lack an argillic horizon. McDaniels soils have a mollic epipedon more than 20 inches thick. Rockly soils are less than 20 inches deep to a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is moderate to very rapid; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazed woodland. Vegetation is Oregon white oak, antelope bitterbrush, common snowberry, arrowleaf balsamroot, lupine, yarrow, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and widely scattered ponderosa pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Washington, MLRA 6. Series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Yakima Nation, Yakima County, Washington 1987. Kusshi is the name of a canyon and creek in the Satus watershed. Kusshi is a possible spelling variation of k'usi, the Yakama word for horse.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 2 to 16 inches (A1, A2, and BAt horizons)
Argillic horizon - 10 to 62 inches (BAt, Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Particle-size control section - 10 to 30 inches (BAt, Bt1, and upper 5 inches of Bt2 horizons)