LOCATION BOLICKER WAEstablished Series
The Bolicker series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess superimposed over basaltic colluvium. Bolicker soils are on canyon walls, slumpblocks, and footslopes. Slopes are 15 to 90 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 13 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 51 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bolicker silt loam-range on a 68 percent north-facing slope at an elevation of 1,340 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bw--11 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 22 inches thick)
2Bk--29 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very cobbly loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; common fine spheroidel aggregates of secondary lime, common coatings of secondary lime in pores and many coatings on undersides of basalt fragments; 30 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Asotin County, Washington; about 8 miles west of Clarkston, 900 feet north and 2,000 feet east of southwest corner of section 25, T. 11 N., R. 44 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the calcic horizon is 25 to 40 inches. These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depth of 8 and 24 inches for 75 to 90 consecutive days following summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F. The particle-size control section is 10 to 35 percent rock fragments and the fine earth fraction is 10 to 18 percent clay. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 18 inches thick.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
The Bw horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist.
The 2Bk horizon has value of 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Texture is very cobbly loam, very gravelly loam, cobbly loam, silt loam, or loam. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Asotin, Chard, Disautel, Dufur, and Kidman series. The Marriott and Molcal series have a similar classification. Asotin soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Chard, Dufur and Kidman soils are less than 5 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section. In addition, Chard soils are moist for 90 to 105 consecutive days following the summer solstice and Kidman are moist for 60 to 70 consecutive days. Disautel soils have a hard and firm Bk horizon formed in glacial till. Marriott soils lack a non-gravelly loess mantle within the particle-size control section and have an active mineralogy family class. Molcal soils have ash influence in the surface and meet Vitrandic subgroup criteria, are calcareous throughout and have platy lake sediments in the lower part of the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bolicker soils are on canyon walls, slumpblocks, and footslopes, and have slopes of 15 to 90 percent. These soils formed in loess superimposed over basaltic colluvium. Elevation is 800 to 2,600 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 15 inches. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 51 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Asotin, Nims, Schuelke, Walla Walla, and Weissenfels soils. Asotin, Nims, Schuelke, and Weissenfels soils have a lithic contact at a depth of less than 40 inches. Walla Walla soils are coarse-silty and lack secondary lime within the particle-size control section. Asotin and Schuelke soils are on canyon side slopes. Nims soils are on basalt plateaus. Walla Walla soils are on hills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to rapid runoff, moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Washington. MLRA 8. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Asotin County, Washington, 1984.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 0 to 11 inches
Cambic horizon - the zone from 11 to 29 inches
Calcic horizon - the zone from 29 to 60 inches
Rev. 01/98 reflects a change in classification based on the addition of CEC activity classes in Soil Taxonomy.