LOCATION INKLER WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Andic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Inkler gravelly ashy silt loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 4 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) gravelly ashy silt loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; 20 percent angular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly ashy silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; 20 percent angular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw2--9 to 21 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly ashy silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium roots; root mat at lower boundary; 25 percent angular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
2C1--21 to 31 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2C2--31 to 46 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) extremely cobbly loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common medium tubular pores; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; clay bridging of sand grains; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
2C3--46 to 60 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 25 percent gravel, 25 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; clay bridging of sand grains; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Stevens County, Washington; just above Pierre Creek Road on logging spur; 1,300 feet south and 200 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 33, T. 40 N., R. 37 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in the moisture control section for 60 to 75 days following summer solstice. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches ranges from 44 to 46 degrees F. The solum is 14 to 30 inches thick. The dominant depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches but ranges to 40 inches in some areas. The particle-size control section averages 7 to 18 percent clay in the fine earth fraction and averages 35 to 60 percent rock fragments. The volcanic ash mantle is 7 to 14 inches thick in the upper solum, with an estimated moist bulk density of less than 1.0 g/cc, volcanic glass content of more than 30 percent, and acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of more than 1.0 percent. The lower solum is estimated to have a moist bulk density of more than 1.0 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, and acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent. The soils are slightly acid or neutral.
The A horizon has value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist, and chroma of 1 to 3 dry or moist. Some pedons do not have an A horizon.
The Bw1 horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is ashy sandy loam, ashy loam, or ashy silt loam, and commonly is gravelly, very gravelly, or very cobbly. Rock fragments range from 15 to 50 percent.
The Bw2 horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is silt loam, loam, or sandy loam, and is gravelly, cobbly, or very cobbly. It is 20 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. It has weak or moderate, fine or medium subangular blocky structure. The 2Bw horizon is mixed volcanic ash and glacial till, colluvium and residuum, and is assumed not to be dominated by amorphous material.
The upper part of the 2C horizon has hue of 5Y, 2.5Y or 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam. silt loam, or sandy loam. Rock fragments range from 40 to 60 percent. The lower part of the 2C horizon has hue of 2.5Y or 5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is loam, silt loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam and is very gravelly, very cobbly, extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly with 40 to 70 percent rock fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Avonville, Juandefuca, McCree, Newhorn, Oxerine, Redriver, Tunnelcreek, Veridge, and Wilma series. Series with a similar mixed mineralogy include the Belzar, Harthill, Kloochman, Newbell, Ohscow, Talls, Threemile, and Willmont soils.
Avonville soils - umbric epipedon; 28 to 40 inches to sand and gravel substratum
Juandefuca soils - dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice; less than 30 percent volcanic glass
Newhorn soils - 20 to 40 inches to densic material (Cd horizon)
McCreek soils - Deep to a lithic contact (Rhyolite)
Oxerine soils - 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (gneiss)
Redriver soils - 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (basalt)
Tunnelcreek soils - dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice; 20 to 40 inches to paralithic contact over a lithic contact
Veridge soils - 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (sandstone)
Wilma soils - 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (granite)
Belzar soils - 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (shale)
Harthill soils - dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice; 20 to 40 inches to lithic bedrock (phyllite)
Kloochman soils - 20 to 40 inches to lithic contact (gneiss)
McCree soils - ash mantle 14 to 27 inches thick with ash and pumice; 40 to 60 inches to lithic contact (rhyolite)
Newbell soils - dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice; 25 to 35 inches to densic materials (Cd horizon)
Ohscow soils - dry for 45 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice; particle-size control section dominated by rock fragments of granite and gneiss origin
Talls soils - distinct clay bands in the 2A and 2B horizon; 12 to 22 inches to abrupt discontinuity representing buried surface layer (2A horizon)
Threemile soils - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and are effervescent in lower part of particle-size control section; 40 to 60 inches to lithic contact (calcareous limestone)
Willmont soils - particle-size control section dominated by channery rock fragments of sedimentary or metasedimentary origin.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Inkler soils are on footslopes and mountains at elevations of 2,000 to 5,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 75 percent. These soils formed in glacial till, colluvium, and residuum with a component of volcanic ash in the upper part. Average annual precipitation is 16 to 35 inches; mean annual temperature is 41 to 44 degrees F. and the frost-free season is 90 to l20 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Baldknob, Kiehl, Nevine, Scoap, and Thout soils. Baldknob soils are 10 to 20 inches to a lithic contact and are on summits, shoulders, and backslopes of glacially scoured foothills and mountains. Kiehl soils have a sandy-skeletal control section and are on glacial outwash terraces and terrace escarpments. Nevine soils are ashy over loamy-skeletal and are on moraines, foothills, and mountains. Scoap soils have a mollic epipedon 20 to 30 inches thick and are on uplands and mountainsides. Thout soils are 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact and are on glaciated mountainsides and ridgetops.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderate to rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly grazable woodland and some dryland cropland. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and western larch with an understory of common snowberry, wildrose, spirea, pinegrass, mallow ninebark, creambush oceanspray, and pachystima.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. MLRA 43A, 6. The Inkler series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stevens County (North Ferry Area), Washington, l97l
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the mineral surface to 4 inches
Cambic horizon - the zone from 4 to 21 inches
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches
Andic feature - The upper part to 9 inches is assumed to meet andic soil properties, the layer from 9 to 21 inches is mixed and is assumed not to meet andic soil properties.
The modal concept of this series regarding depth class is greater than 60 inches to bedrock. The Cashmere Mountain Areas, Washington (WA608) soil survey recognized the Inkler series as 40 to 60 inches to lithic bedrock. Upon update of this survey, consideration should be given in correlation of this soil series concept to another series or propose a new series.