LOCATION MOXEE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Cambidic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Moxee silt loam, range. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
A2--3 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bw--7 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; 20 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
2Bk--11 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; 20 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
2Bkqm--18 inches; lime-silica cemented duripan; strongly cemented.
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima County, Washington; 100 feet north and 110 feet west of the S.E. corner section 34, T. 13 N., R. 20 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the duripan is 10 to 20 inches. The mollic epipedon is 7 to 10 inches thick and the solum is 10 to 13 inches thick. The particle-size control section averages 10 to 35 percent coarse fragments and has 5 to 10 percent clay. Coarse fragments are lime-silica cemented material and basalt and have been mixed with the loess. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 54 degrees F. Theses soil are usually dry in the moisture control section for one-half to three-fourths of the time when the soil temperature is above 41 degrees F (aridic moisture regime).
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 3 or 4 moist or dry. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The 2Bk and 2Bkqm horizons have value 5 to 8 dry, 3 to 6 moist and chroma of 1 to 4 moist or dry. Texture is silt loam or gravelly silt loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This the Chainlink series. Chainlink soils have a calcic horizon, and have 10 to 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Moxee soils are on uplands and terraces at elevations of 900 to 2,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The soils formed in loess over a duripan mantling old alluvium or basalt. They are in a semiarid climate with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 15 inches. The average January temperature is 29 degrees F. and the average July temperature of 71 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. The frost free season is 125 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ritzville, Selah and Willis soils. Ritzville soils lack a duripan and are on uplands. Selah soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to the duripan and are on uplands and dissected terraces. Willis soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a duripan and are on uplands, terraces and alluvial fans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability above the duripan and very slow through the duripan.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated crops and livestock grazing. Native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and Wyoming big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South central Washington. MLRA 7 and 8. Series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yakima County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon - from 0 to 7 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - from 7 to 11 inches (Bw horizon)
Duripan - 11 inches, strongly cemented (2Bkqm horizon)
Aridic moisture regime that borders xeric
Classification revised 6/2008 from Haploxerollic Durixerolls to Cambidic Durixerolls based on re-evaluation of the soil moisture regime. Further investigation is needed on the dry rupture resistance (degree of cementation) of the duripan.