LOCATION HARDESTY WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, mesic Aquic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Hardesty ashy silt loam - woodland. (Colors for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures)
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to moderate medium granular; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
A2--4 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--11 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and few fine irregular pores; few medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)
Bw2--23 to 32 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; common medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
C1--32 to 39 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) ashy very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; few medium distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 1 inches thick)
C2--39 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) ashy loamy very fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine irregular pores; coarsely laminated with thin wavy bands that are brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; neutral (pH 6.8)
TYPE LOCATION: Spokane County, Washington; About 3 miles south of the community of Greenacres, WA; about 2600 feet west and 1800 feet south of the northeast corner of section 35, T. 25 N., R. 44 E. ; USGS Topographic quadrangle; Latitude 47 degrees 37 minutes 22 seconds north and 117 degrees 12 minutes 24 seconds west (NAD83 Zone 11)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of mollic epipedon 10 to 15 inches
Moisture control section dry in all parts between 8 and 24 inches for 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice
Depth to apparent water table February through April, 30 to 40 inches, with brief periods as high as 23 inches in February; May through January greater than 40 inches
Depth to redoximorphic concentrations 20 to 40 inches having more than 2 percent
Depth to redoximorphic depletions greater than 40 inches
Average annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F
Base saturation greater than 50 percent in the particle size control section
Bulk density - 0.65 to 0.85 g./cc (depths 0 to 40 inches)
Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe - 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Volcanic glass content - more than 60 percent in the particle-size control section
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
A horizon
Value 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma 2 or 3, moist or dry
Gravel content 0 to 5 percent
Bw horizon
Value 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture ashy silt loam or ashy very fine sandy loam
Gravel content - 0 to 10 percent
Redox features none to few fine faint to common medium distinct concentrations
BC horizon present in some pedons
C horizon
Value 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma 2 to 4, moist or dry
Texture - stratified ashy silt loam, ashy very fine sandy loam, ashy loamy very fine sand and ashy fine sandy loam,
Gravel content 0 to 10 percent
Redox features - few fine faint to common medium distinct concentrations and none to few depletions below a depth of 40 inches
2C horizon (present in some pedons below 38 inches)
Hue 10YR or 2.5Y
Value 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma 1 to 3, dry or moist
Texture sandy loam or loamy sand with total rock fragment content of 60 to 90 percent
Gravel content 10 to 70
Cobble content - 20 to 70 percent
Redox features - few fine faint to common medium distinct concentrations and none to few depletions
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Similar soils having a Typic subgroup classification are the Synarep and Thowson series. Synarep soils are calcareous throughout. Thowson soils have 5 to 40 percent pumice in the particle-size control section and are dry 75 to 90 consecutive days following the summer solstice.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hardesty soils are on low terraces along intermittent drainageways, in depressions, in broad basins and on alluvial fans at elevations of 1,500 to 3,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium having more than 60 percent volcanic ash mixed with loess in the upper part. Summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and moist. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 25 inches. The average January temperature is about 26 degrees F. and the average July temperature is about 68 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is about 46 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bernhill, Dart, Donavan, Marble, Peone, Spokane and Springdale soils. Dart and Marble soils are sandy and are on terraces. Bernhill soils are fine-loamy and are on foothills. Donavan soils are coarse-loamy and are on toeslopes, footslopes, and backslopes of foothills and mountains. Peone soils have redox depletions with chroma of 2 or less in the control section and are on stream terraces and drainageways. Spokane soils are coarse loamy, moderately deep to weathered granite and are on foothills and mountains. Springdale soils are sandy-skeletal and are on terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. These soils are rarely flooded for brief periods from January to February.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hardesty soils are used mainly for cropland. Small grains, alfalfa and grasses are common crops. The potential natural vegetation is ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, scattered Douglas-fir, pinegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, Oregon-grape, ninebark, rose, kinnickinnick, strawberry and yarrow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. MLRA 44; Small in extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Spokane, Washington, 1964.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon the zone from 0 to 11 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 11 to 32 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 0 to 40 inches (A1, A2, Bw1, Bw2, C1 and part of the C2.
Aquic feature the zone beginning at 23 inches having more than 2 percent redox concentrations.
Andic properties the zone from 0 to 60 inches.
The A horizons represent the limit of loess influence.
This revision reflects an update to classification from Ashy, glassy, mesic Typic Vitrixerands to Ashy, glassy, mesic Aquic Vitrixerands and an updating of the typical pedon description. 03/03