LOCATION HEZEL WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy over loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Xeric Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Hezel loamy fine sand - grassland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures).
A--0 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
C--7 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 inches thick)
2Ckl--18 to 27 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; secondary carbonates on faces of peds; calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
2Ck2--27 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) stratified silt loam to fine sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; secondary carbonates in seams and lenses; calcareous; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Franklin County, Washington; about one mile east of Glade; 700 feet east and 500 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 24, T.10N., R.29E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Average annual soil temperature ranges from 50 to 55 degrees F. These soils are continuously dry in the moisture control section from about April 1 to November 15 in most years. Depth to the 2Ck horizon is 15 to 40 inches. Hue is 10YR or 2.5Y throughout. Depth to secondary carbonates is 10 to 30 inches. Some pedons have soft powdery lime concentrations.
The A horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It has 0.1 to 0.5 percent organic carbon. This horizon is neutral through moderately alkaline.
The C horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loamy fine sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, or fine sand. Reaction is neutral through moderately alkaline.
The 2Ck horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3 moist and dry. It is stratified silt loam, very fine sandy loam, loamy very fine sand and fine sandy loam with thin lenses of fine sand. Reaction is slightly alkaline through strongly alkaline.
In some pedons below 40 inches it is extremely cobbly very fine sandy loam, extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, or extremely cobbly loamy sand. Rock fragments range from 65 to 90 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: Hezel is the only series in the family. The Burbank series in a similar family is sandy-skeletal.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hezel soils are on dissected terraces, floodplains, and terrace escarpments at elevations of 400 to 2,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 60 percent. These soils formed in lake sediments, alluvium, or glaciofluvial deposits with a mantle of eolian sand. They are in an arid climate with an annual precipitation of 6 to 10 inches; average January temperature is about 36 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 76 degrees F.; average annual temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. Frost-free season is 150 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kennewick, Koehler, Quincy, Sagehill, Sagemoor, Shano, and Warden soils. Koehler soils are on terraces and have duripans at 20 to 40 inches. Quincy soils are on dunes and terraces and are sandy in all parts of the particle-size control section. Kennewick, Sagehill, Sagemoor, Shano, and Warden soils are on terraces and lack sandy textures in the upper part of the particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow to rapid runoff; rapid over moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Irrigated crop production or pasture and livestock grazing. Native vegetation is thickspike wheatgrass, needleandthread, Indian ricegrass, Wyoming big sagebrush, and antelope bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Walla Walla County, Washington, 1960.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon from the surface to 7 inches
Particle-size control section from l0 to 40 inches that is sandy from l0 to l8 inches and coarse-silty from l8 to 40 inches.