LOCATION LINVILLE WA+ID OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Linville silt loam - range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; common very fine tubular pores; few angular basalt gravel and cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
A2--12 to 25 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; few medium and common very fine tubular pores; few angular basalt gravel and cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
A3--25 to 30 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many roots; few coarse, few medium, and common very fine tubular pores; few angular basalt gravel and cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bw1--30 to 43 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) cobbly silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; few very coarse, many medium, and many very fine tubular pores; thin patchy siliceous coatings on peds; 15 percent cobbles, 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
Bw2--43 to 54 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; few very coarse, many medium, and many very fine tubular pores; thin patchy siliceous coatings on peds; 20 percent cobbles; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 12 inches thick)
BC--54 to 63 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) cobbly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common roots; few medium and many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent cobbles; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
2R--63 inches; basalt bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Garfield County, Washington; 920 feet west and 350 feet south of northeast corner sec. 2, T. 13 N., R. 42 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry in all parts between the depth of 4 and 12 inches for 75 to 90 consecutive days during summer and fall. Depth to basalt and thickness of solum are 40 to more than 60 inches. The particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay and 5 to 30 percent angular basalt fragments by volume. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 48 inches thick.
The A1 and A2 horizons have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 1 through 3 dry or moist.
The A3 horizon or AB horizon, when present, has value of 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. It is silt loam or cobbly silt loam.
The Bw horizon has hues of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry or moist. It is silt loam, cobbly silt loam, very cobbly loam, or gravelly silt loam. It is neutral through moderately alkaline.
A Bt horizon is present in some pedons.
The BC horizon has value of 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 dry. It is cobbly silt loam, very cobbly loam, or cobbly loam. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alicel, Calimus, Chalkford, Sinamox, Sweeney, and Watama series. Alicel soils lack rock fragments in the particle-size control section, and are clay loam or sandy clay loam in the cambic horizon. Calimus, Chalkford and Sinamox soils are dry for more than 90 consecutive days. Sweeney soils are fine sandy loam in the lower part of the particle-size control section and have a mean annual soil temperature of about 58 degrees F. Watama soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Linville soils are on north and east-facing mountain slopes, hill sides, ridges, plateaus, and canyon walls at elevations of 800 to 3,500 feet. Slopes are 0 to 90 percent. Linville soils formed in slope alluvium and colluvium from basalt and loess with minor amounts of volcanic ash. They have a climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 14 to 18 inches. The mean January temperature is 29 to 32 degrees F. The mean July temperature is 68 to 71 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is 80 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gwin, Kuhl, Laufer, Rockly, Tucannon, and Thiessen soils. Gwin, Kuhl, Laufer, Tucannon, and Thiessen soils have a lithic contact at a depth of less than 40 inches. Matheny soils are loamy-skeletal. Rockly soils have a lithic contact at less than 20 inches and are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and as wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mainly Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, rose, common snowberry, and hawthorn.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and Central Washington, northeastern Oregon, and Idaho; MLRA 8 and 9. The series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Garfield County, Washington, 1970.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 30 inches (A1, A2, and A3 horizons)
Cambic horizon - 30 to 54 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)