LOCATION MERKEL WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Merkel ashy sandy loam - woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 1 inch; moderately decomposed needles, twigs, grass; neutral (pH 6.6).
A1--1 to 1.75 inch; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 1 inch thick)
A2--1.75 to 10 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many roots; 15 percent gravel and cobbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--10 to 18 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many roots; 15 percent gravel, cobbles, stones; few fine pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 23 inches thick)
2BC--18 to 40 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; many medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; common fine pores; 30 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles and stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 30 inches thick)
2Cd1--40 to 47 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; few medium faint brown (10YR 4/3) moist redox concentrations; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common roots; few fine pores; 30 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles and stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2Cd2--47 to 61 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) very cobbly loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, compact, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots; 35 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles and stones; neutral (pH 6.7).
TYPE LOCATION: Ferry County, Washington; 160 feet west of power line and 100 feet north of logging road in the southeast corner sec. 30, T. 37 N., R. 32 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 42 to 47 degrees F. The depth to the lithologic discontinuity and thickness of the ash influenced zone is 10 to 30 inches. Depth to a densic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The soil is usually moist but is dry in all parts between a depth of 8 to 24 inches for 60 to 90 consecutive days with an estimate volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent and acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 75 percent semirounded rock fragments. The soil is neutral to moderately acid. The surface layer is stony or very stony in some pedons. Some pedons have a stony or bouldery surface.
The A horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 dry or moist. Some pedons have a thin A or E horizon formed in a layer of Mt. St. Helens 'T' or 'W' volcanic ash with value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 1 or 2 dry or moist.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 to 5 dry or moist. It is ashy sandy loam and has 5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.
The 2BC or 2CB horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is sandy loam or coarse sandy loam and is very gravelly, extremely gravelly or very cobbly with 20 to 45 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobbles, and 5 to 10 percent stones.
The 2Cd horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 to 4 dry or moist. It is sandy loam or coarse sandy loam and is very gravelly, very cobbly extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly with 20 to 45 percent gravel, 5 to 25 percent cobbles and 5 to 10 percent stones. Below 30 inches it is sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy coarse sand and is very gravelly, very cobbly extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly with 1 to 8 percent clay.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ardtoo, Bindle, Blackprince, and Roop series. Ardtoo soils are deep to a paralithic contact. Bindle and Roop soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Blackprince soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Merkel soils are on toeslopes, footslopes, and backslopes of mountains at elevations of 2,500 to 5,200 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 65 percent. Merkel soils formed in granitic glacial till with an admixture of volcanic ash in the upper part. They are in a climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual temperature is about 43 degrees F.; average annual precipitation ranges from 17 to 25 inches; and the frost-free season is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Elbowlake, Goddard, Nevine, Newbell, Talls, and Torboy soils. Elbowlake and Nevine soils have a mantle of volcanic ash more than 14 inches thick with a bulk density of 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc. Nevine soils are on moraines, foothills and mountains. Goddard soils are sandy-skeletal and are on outwash terraces and terrace escarpments. Newbell soils have a mantle of volcanic ash 7 to 14 inches thick with a bulk density of 0.65 to 0.85 g/cc and are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days. Elbowlake and Newbell soils are on mountain backslopes, footslopes, and toeslopes. Talls soils are more than 18 percent clay in the lower part of the particle-size control section and are on hills and mountains. Torboy soils are sandy and are on terraces and terrace escarpments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately rapid over slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, grazing, wildlife habitat and watershed. Native plants are Douglas-fir, western larch, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, kinnikinnick, elksedge, common snowberry, and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. MLRA 6, 43A. Merkel series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Ferry County, Washington, 1971.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are an ochric epipedon from the surface to 10 inches, a cambic horizon from 10 to 18 inches. The volcanic ash influence is from 1 to 18 inches with only minor amounts below 18 inches.