LOCATION LONERIDGE WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Palexeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Loneridge stony ashy loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. Textures are based on apparent field textures.)
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stony ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, common medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; 2 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones over the surface; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
E--4 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly ashy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
BE--11 to 19 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very cobbly ashy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse roots; few very fine irregular pores; 25 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
2Bt1--19 to 30 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine irregular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds; common distinct clay films on rock fragments; 30 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
2Bt2--30 to 46 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very cobbly clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, extremely firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; continuous prominent clay films on faces of peds and many prominent clay films on rock fragments; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 20 inches thick)
2Bt3--46 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and distinct clay films on rock fragments; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 3/4 of a mile southeast of Walter Flat in the Naneum basin; 2,200 feet north and 800 feet east of the southwest corner of section. 23, T. 20 N., R. 19 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 42 to 47 degrees F. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 55 percent clay by weight in the fine earth fraction, 35 to 75 percent rock fragments and 55 to 65 percent base saturation (sum). The upper 7 to 20 has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.85to 1.10 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent for air dried samples. Reaction is neutral to moderately acid.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. Texture is stony ashy loam, ashy loam or gravelly ashy sandy loam. The A2 horizon, when present, has texture of gravelly ashy sandy loam or cobbly ashy sandy loam.
The E and BE horizons, when present, have hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 dry or moist. Texture is gravelly, very gravelly, cobbly, or very cobbly and are ashy sandy loam, ashy loam or ashy silt loam in the fine earth fraction.
The 2Bt horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 to 5 dry or moist. Texture is very gravelly, very cobbly, extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly and are clay, clay loam or silty clay loam. It has 35 to 50 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. The Keechelus and Yahne soils have similar classifications. The Keechelus soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days and have an ash influenced surface layer less than 7 inches thick. The Yahne soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days and have andic soil properties in the upper 7 to 4 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Loneridge soils are on mountain side slopes, plateaus and benches. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from vesicular Yakima basalt with a mantle of mixed loess and volcanic ash. Elevations are 2,400 to 5,400 feet. These soils are in a climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 45 inches. The mean January temperature is about 24 degrees F, the mean July temperature is about 67 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The growing season at 28 degrees F is l25 to l70 days in Washington and 75 to 100 days in Oregon. The frost-free season is 70 to 100 days in Washington and 50 to 90 days in Oregon.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jumpe, Sutkin, Stemilt, and Sapkin soils. All of these soils are loamy-skeletal. In addition Jumpe and Sutkin soils lack an argillic horizon. Sapkin soils have bedrock at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, livestock grazing, recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Native vegetation is mainly Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, grand fir, and western larch, with an understory of pinegrass, elk sedge, Oregon-grape, ceanothus, creambush oceanspray, lupine, common snowberry and pinemat manzanita.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington and northeastern Oregon. MLRA 6, 43. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Chelan County Area, Washington, l969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the mineral surface to 4 inches
Argillic horizon - the zone from 19 to 60 inches. The argillic horizon has an abrupt clay increase of greater than 15 percent absolute at the top and has little or no clay decrease to 60 inches.
Vitrandic feature - the zone from 0 to 19 inches
Ultic feature - the zone from 19 to 60 inches having an estimated base saturation (sum) of 55 to 65 percent.
Particle-size control section - the zone from 19 to 39 inches
This soil has been reclassified from clayey-skeletal, mixed, frigid Ultic Palexeralfs to clayey-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Palexeralfs.