LOCATION KLICKER WA+ID OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Klicker stony ashy silt loam- forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oi--0 to 0.5 inches; slightly decomposed leaves, pine needles, grass, and twigs.
A--0.5 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stony ashy silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; common fine pores; l5 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones; slightly acid pH (6.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 13 inches thick)
ABt--4 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) cobbly ashy silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderately medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; common fine pores; faint patchy clay films on vertical and horizontal surfaces of peds and in pores; 25 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 18 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) cobbly silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few roots; common fine pores; continuous prominent clay films on peds; 25 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--18 to 28 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly silty clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; common fine pores; patchy clay films on peds, few clay films lining pores; 50 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 14 to 24 inches)
2R--28 inches; basalt
TYPE LOCATION: Walla Walla County, Washington; Lewis Peak Road, Blue Mountain Area, l00 yards below road junction; NWl/4 NEl/4 section. 24, T. 7 N., R. 38 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is 20 to 40 inches thick and extends to a lithic contact. Average annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches for 60 to 75 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Organic matter content decreases to less than one percent below a depth of 20 inches. The particle-size control section is 20 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 40 percent sand in the fine earth fraction
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The A horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR, value of, 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. It is ashy silt loam, ashy loam or ashy sandy loam with 10 to 65 percent gravel, cobbles and stones. It has 5 to 20 percent volcanic glass and 0.4 to 0.8 percent acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron. Soil reaction is neutral or slightly acid.
The ABt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. Texture is ashy silt loam or ashy loam and has 10 to 50 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones. It has 5 to 15 percent volcanic glass and 0.4 to 0.8 percent acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron. Soil reaction is neutral or slightly acid.
The Bt horizon has hue of 5YR, 7.5YR, or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 moist or dry. Texture is dominantly silty clay loam, but includes heavy silt loam and clay loam. It averages 25 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent angular gravel, cobbles and stones. Soil reaction is neutral through moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Getaway, Klickson, Larabee, Millerflat, Ryespur (T), Southworth, Stemilt, and Sycreek series. Getaway, Klickson, Millerflat, Ryespur, Stemilt, and Sycreek soils are more than 40 inches deep. Larabee soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days and have acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half iron of 0.8 to 1.5 percent. Southworth soils have channer and flagstone rock fragments from mudstone and shale.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Klicker soils are on mountains, plateaus, canyons and structural benches at an elevation of 2,500 to 6,200 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 90 percent. The soils formed in loess mixed with volcanic ash, and slope alluvium and colluvium from basalt. Summers are cool and dry and winters are cold and wet. Average annual precipitation is 15 to 40 inches. Average January temperature is 24 to 27 degrees F.; average July temperature is 63 to 67 degrees F.; and average annual temperature is 40 to 45 degrees F. Frost-free season is 60 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Anatone, Bocker, Cloverland, Couse, Getaway, Gwin, Larkin, Millerpoint, Sweiting and Tolo soils. Anatone, Bocker and Gwin soils are on plateaus and are 10 to 20 inches deep to bedrock. Cloverland and Couse soils are on plateaus; Getaway soils are on canyon walls; Larkin and Tolo soils are on uplands; and all these soils are more than 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Millerpoint soils have a greater than 36 inch thick volcanic ash mantle and are 60 or more inches to bedrock. Sweiting soils are on plateaus and are in a fine family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Klicker soils are used mainly for timber production and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is an open stand of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir with an understory of bluebunch wheatgrass, slender wheatgrass, brome grass, elk sedge, Oregon-grape, common snowberry, Saskatoon serviceberry, creambush oceanspray, mallow ninebark and wild rose.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeast and south-central Washington, northeast and central Oregon, and western Idaho; MLRA 43C and 6. The series is of large extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Walla Walla County, Washington, 1960.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized are:
Mollic epipedon - 0.5 to 18 inches (A, ABt and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon - 10 to 28 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons)
Lithic contact - 28 inches (R horizon)
Vitrandic feature - 0.5 to 10 inches (A and ABt horizons)
Ultic feature - 10 to 28 inches having an estimated base saturation (sum) of 75 percent or less in some part
Soil moisture regime - xeric
This series needs further investigation as to the mean annual precipitation range of 15 to 40 inches and frost-free period of 60 to 120 days. The upper 40 inch precipitation range would seem to contradict the current 60 to 75 dry day period for the soil moisture control section and may, in fact, reflect a 45 to 60 dry day range similar to the Larabee series concept.