LOCATION ROYAL WA+CA ID OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Royal fine sandy loam - grassland, (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7/6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Bk--15 to 30 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
C1--30 to 40 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
C2--40 to 46 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
C3--46 to 57 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loamy fine sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grained; loose; few roots; interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
C4--57 to 70 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Washington; Farm Unit 126 of Irrigation Block 16; 1,400 feet north and 200 feet west of southeast corner of sec. 28, T. 11 N., R. 29 E., W. M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 56 degrees F. The soils are usually dry in all parts between depths of 8 to 24 inches for about 105 to 120 consecutive days when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. Depth to lime is 10 to 44 inches. The 10 to 40 inch particle-size control section averages sandy loam. Some pedons contain small pockets or thin strata of silt loam.
The A horizon has value of 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy fine sand, or loamy very fine sand.
The Bk and C horizons have value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 1 to 4 dry or moist. It is stratified very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy very fine sand, loamy fine sand, and fine sand. Some pedons have a cemented pan at depths greater than 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bijorja, Chedehap, Drewsey, Haybourne, Irrigon, McClenden, Prosser, Rebel, Sohappy, Vining and Wiehl series. Bijorja, Irrigon, and Wiehl soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Chedehap soils have a sandy 2B horizon in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Haybourne soils lack a Bk horizon. McClenden soils are silt loam and loam in the upper part of the particle-size control section. Prosser, and Vining soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Rebel soils lack a Bk horizon, contain common to many mica flakes in the particle-size control section. Sohappy soils are 10 to 30 percent rock fragments in the lower part of the particle-size control section. Drewsey soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 47 to 50 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Royal soils are on footslopes and terraces at elevations of 300 to 1,300 feet, 2,300 to 3,500 feet in Idaho. Slopes are 0 to 40 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and wind modified glaciofluvial sediments. These soils are in an arid climate with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches. The average January temperature is 27 degrees F. The average July temperature is 71 degrees F. The average annual temperature is 49 to 54 degrees F. The frost-free season is 140 to 210 days in Washington and 120 to 150 days in Idaho.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hezel, Quincy, Taunton, and Timmerman soils and the competing Wiehl and Sagehill soils. Hezel soils are sandy over loamy. Taunton soils have a duripan at depths of less than 40 inches. Quincy and Timmerman soils are sandy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated cropland and range. Native vegetation is needleandthread grass, bluebunch wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington and southern Idaho and north-central Oregon. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Adams County, Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 5 inches, a cambic horizon from 5 to 15 inches, and a horizon of calcium carbonate enrichment from 15 to 30 inches. The Bk horizon does not contain sufficient calcium carbonate to quality as a calcic horizon.
ADDITIONAL DATA: S61 Wash, 11-13 (107) Riverside Lab. Nos. 61204-61210, and S61 Wash, 11-4 (1-6) Riverside Lab. Nos. 61211-61216.