LOCATION ELD WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Eld loam-pasture. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0to 7 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) dry; strong fine and very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; medium acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
AB--7 to 22 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots; few medium, common very fine and fine tubular pores; medium acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 17 inches thick)
Bw1--22 to 35 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) silt loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots, common very fine and fine tubular pores; medium acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
Bw2--35 to 60 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine tubular pores; medium (pH 5.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Thurston County, Washington; about 1.5 miles northeast of Littlerock; 800 feet east, 2,350 feet north of southwest corner of sec. 35, T. 17 N., R. 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to more than 60 inches. the mollic epipedon is 20 to 25 inches thick. These soils are usually moist, but are dry for 60 to 75 days in all parts of the moisture control section following the summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 47 to 52 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 0 to 15 percent pebbles. These soils are slightly acid or medium acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 10 YR or 5YR, value of 2 or 3 moist, 3 through 5 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and 2 through 6 dry. The lower part of the A horizon is loam or silt loam.
The B horizon has hue of 5YR through 10 YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, and 3 through 6 dry. it is loam or silt loam in the upper part and silt loam or silty clay loam in the lower part.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chapman and Nook series. Chapman soils are dry for 50 to 60 consecutive days in the moisture control section and Nook soils are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Eld soils are at elevations of 150 to 250 feet, on alluvial bottomlands and alluvial fans. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. eld soils formed in alluvium from basaltic materials. Eld soils occur in a humid marine climate with 45 to 55 inches annual precipitation occurring mostly as rain during the winter months. mean January temperature is 38 degrees f., mean July temperature is 65 degrees F., and mean annual air temperature is about 50 degrees F. Frost-free season is 150 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alderwood, Godfrey, Grove, Maytown, Olympic, Raught, and Spanaway soils. Alderwood soils are loamy-skeletal and have a duripan. Godfrey soils have an aquic moisture regime and are in a fine family. Grove and Spanaway soils are sandy-skeletal and formed in glacial outwash. Maytown soils are fine- silty. Olympic soils are in a fine family. Raught soils have an umbric epipedon that is less than 20 inches thick.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability. These soils are subject to rare flooding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Eld soils have been cleared of forest vegetation and are used cropland. Seeded grass pasture, hay and corn silage are common crops. native vegetation is Douglas-fir, western redcedar, red alder, and bigleaf maple, with a dense understory of vinemaple, western swordfern, salal, and Oregongrape.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Thurston County, Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Reconnaissance of the western part of the Puget Sound Basin, Washington, 1910.