LOCATION MIPPON WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Fluventic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Mippon very cobbly loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oe--0 to 1 inch; moderately decomposed forest litter. (1/4 to 1 inch thick)
A--1 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) very cobbly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; few very fine irregular pores; 20 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
AC--12 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine roots; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
C1--18 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely cobbly loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few coarse roots; 30 percent gravel and 40 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual wavy boundary. (11 to 26 inches thick)
C2--33 to 61 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose; nonsticky and nonplastic; 60 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 9 miles northeast of Ellensburg; 1,580 feet east and 1,250 feet south of the northwest corner of section 16[SW1], T. 19 N., R. 19 E.; USGS Naneum Canyon, Washington topographic quadrangle; Latitude - 47 degrees, 08 minutes, 34 seconds N. and Longitude - 120 degrees, 28 minutes, 11 seconds W. (NAD83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 46 degrees F. The particle-size control section has 50 to 90 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 17 inches thick. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The A horizon has value of 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry, 1 to 3 moist. Texture is loam, silt loam, loamy sand, sandy loam or ashy sandy loam. It has 0 to 60 percent gravel, cobbles, and stones.
The AC horizon, when present, has value of 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist. Texture is very cobbly loam, extremely gravelly sand, very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly coarse sand, very cobbly loamy sand, extremely gravelly loamy sand, or extremely cobbly loamy sand.
The C horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 6 dry and chroma of 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist, or multicolored. Texture is extremely cobbly loamy coarse sand, very cobbly or extremely cobbly loamy sand, very gravelly or extremely gravelly loamy sand , extremely gravelly sand, extremely gravelly or extremely cobbly coarse sand, very cobbly sand or extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand. Some thin layers are sandy loam in the fine earth fraction.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Hewolf series. Hewolf soils have cambic horizons and a mollic epipedon 7 to 11 inches thick.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Mippon soils are on flood plains and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Elevation is 1,200 to 4,800 feet. These soils formed in recent alluvium. They are in a climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 18 to 40 inches. The mean January temperature is about 24 degrees F and the mean July temperature is about 64 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 70 to 170 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Jumpe,
Loneridge,
Ramparter, and Tepping soils on mountains. Loneridge and Tepping soils have an argillic horizon. Jumpe soils have an ochric epipedon. Ramparter soils are dominated by volcanic
ash and pumice in the 10 to 40 inch control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very slow or slow runoff; moderate to very rapid permeability. These soils range from none to frequent flooding for brief periods in winter and spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation, watershed, and some hay and pasture. Vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, black cottonwood, and grand fir, with an understory of common snowberry, elk sedge, blackberry, oceanspray, wild rose, and yarrow.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountainous areas of Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima Counties., Washington and northeastern Oregon; MLRA 6, 43c. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yakima County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - from 1 to 18 inches
Particle-size control section - from 11 to 41 inches
An irregular decrease in organic carbon with increasing depth.
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.