LOCATION KIAKUS WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kiakus silt loam - rangeland on a 13 percent south-facing slope at an elevation of 2,170 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A2--4 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular and common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 28 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few distinct clay films in pores and on ped faces; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bt2--28 to 33 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few distinct clay films in pores and on ped faces; few very fine roots; few very fine irregular and very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
2R--33 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington; about 13 miles northwest of Goldendale; 1,300 feet north and 2,000 feet east of the southwest corner of section 5, T. 5 N., R. 14 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. The moisture control section is dry in all parts for 60 to 90 consecutive days within the 4 months that follow the summer solstice in 6 or more years out of 10. Depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 15 percent gravel. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 1 to 4 dry, 1 to 3 moist.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry and moist. Texture is silty clay loam, clay loam, loam or gravelly clay loam. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Almaden (T),
Buckeye,
Campfour,
Cartwright,
Elmore,
Hyprairie,
Lauby,
Newlig,
Nisene,
Paragon,
Roseburg,
Swalecreek and
Yaxing series. Almaden soils cannot be competed, OSD not currently in national OSD database
Buckeye soils - MAST of 52 to 56 degrees F.; 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact (greenstone)
Campfour soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
Cartwright soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
Elmore soils - 40 to 60 inches to a lithic contact (rhyolite)
Hyprairie soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
Lauby soils - 40 to more than 60 inches to bedrock; dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days
Newlig soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
Nisene soils - 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact (sandstone, shale); MAST of 56 to 58 degrees F.
Paragon soils - 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact (andesite)
Roseburg soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock; MAST of 52 to 57 degrees F.
Swalecreek soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
Yaxing soils - greater than 60 inches to bedrock
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kiakus soils are on benches, plateaus, shoulder slopes, canyon breaks, and mounded areas on terraces at elevations of 800 to 4,200 feet. Slopes are 2 to 60 percent. Kiakus soils formed in loess and material weathered from basalt. Summers are warm and dry; winters are cool and moist. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 25 inches. The average January temperature is 27 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 65 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free season is 100 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gunn, Itat, Leidl, Munset, Rockly, and Wahoo soils. Gunn, Itat, and Munset soils lack a mollic epipedon. Itat and Leidl soils are loamy-skeletal. Rockly and Wahoo soils have a lithic contact at depths of less than 20 inches. Gunn, Itat, Leidl and Rockly soils are on plateaus and canyon side slopes. Munset soils are in depressions. Wahoo soils are on canyon breaks and plateaus.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass, Lemmons needlegrass and hawksbeard. The vegetation on the high precipitation phase is Oregon oak and scattered ponderosa pine with an understory of Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, Columbia milkvetch and violet. Vegetation on the high elevation phase is ponderosa pine with an understory of bluebunch wheatgrass, antelope bitterbrush and arrowleaf balsamroot.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central and South-central, Washington. MLRA 6, 8. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County, Washington, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from 10 to 33 inches
Argillic horizon - the zone from 11 to 33 inches
Lithic contact - the zone beginning at 33 inches
Particle-size control section - the zone from 11 to 31 inches