LOCATION LANCE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Lance silt loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; contains 5 percent hard and brittle durinodes in lower part; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bkq1--9 to 14 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) weakly silica-cemented silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; contains about 75 percent 1/2 inch extremely hard and brittle durinodes and discontinuous 1/8 inch thick lenses; violently effervescent with many white (10YR 8/2) lime coatings on durinodes and lenses and as threads in matrix; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)
Bkq2--14 to 22 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; contains 50 percent 1/2 inch extremely hard brittle durinodes; noneffervescent matrix but durinodes have many white (10YR 8/2) lime coatings; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
Bkq3--22 to 40 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common black (10YR 2/1) coatings on peds; common thin discontinuous silica films on peds and in pores; noneffervescent matrix but has common white (10YR 8/2) lime in seams; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)
Bkq4--40 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few thin silica films in tubular pores and as bridges between sand grains; slightly effervescent, lime in seams and in pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Spokane County, Washington; 960 feet northwest of the southwest corner and 660 feet southwest of the northwest corner of the Fairview cemetery in sec. 14, T.23N., R.41E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the Bkq horizon is 6 to 12 inches. Mean annual temperature ranges from 48 degrees to 52 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts between 4 and 12 inches for 75 to 90 consecutive days during the summer and fall months. The control section is silt loam and averages 18 to 27 percent clay. These soils are calcareous in all parts in most pedons but may be noncalcareous in the upper 7 inches in some pedons. The soils are moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The Ap horizon has value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3, but never has value of both 5 dry and 3 moist. It has weak granular or subangular blocky structure. Up to 20 percent durinodes can occur in the Ap horizons as a result of deep tillage.
The Bkq horizon has hue of f7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4. It has weak or moderate structure or is massive. This horizon contains 40 to 80 percent 3/4 inch very hard or extremely hard, firm or very firm, brittle durinodes. The matrix materials, in some part, can be weakly silica- and lime-cemented and have very hard or hard and firm consistence.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ritzcal and Staley series in other families. Ritzcal soils are coarse-silty and have an aridic moisture regime. Staley soils have mollic epipedons. Staley soils have mollic epipedons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lance soils are on gently sloping to steep uplands at elevations of 1,800 to 2,800 feet. They formed in calcareous loess high in volcanic ash. These soils occur in a climate with warm, relatively dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 15 to 20 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 47 degrees F.; average January temperature is about 25 degrees F.; average July temperature is about 68 degrees F.; and average frost-free season is about 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Athena and Palouse soils. These soils have mollic epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Small grains, alfalfa, and grass. Native vegetation is mainly Idaho fescue, and bluebunch wheatgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern Washington. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Spokane County, Washington, 1964.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 9 inches and a zone of carbonate and silica accumulation from 9 to 60 inches. The Bkq horizons are exhumed paleosols. Characterization Data are available on this series. Sample Numbers 86P 4352-459.