LOCATION NAXING WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy-skeletal over loamy-skeletal, mixed over isotic Humic Xeric Vitricryands
TYPICAL PEDON: Naxing stony loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 2 inches; slightly decomposed needles and twigs; 1/8 inch intermittent ash layer in the lower part; abrupt smooth boundary (1 to 3 inches thick)
A1--2 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) stony ashy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and coarse, and many fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 15 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 5 percent stones; NaF pH 10.5; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual wavy boundary.
A2--6 to 18 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse, common medium, and many very fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; NaF pH 10.5; moderately acid (pH 5.9); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 19 inches.)
Bw1--18 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly ashy sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few coarse and common medium and very fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 40 percent gravel and 35 percent cobbles; NaF pH 10.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (16 to 25 inches thick)
2Bw2--38 to 57 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and common fine and very fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 45 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; NaF pH 8.3; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.
2Bw3--57 to 60 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many fine and medium irregular pores; 45 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; NaF pH 8.3; slightly acid (pH 6.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kittitas County, Washington; about 18 miles northeast of Ellensburg; 950 feet west and 600 feet north of southeast corner section 6, T. 20 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Colockum Pass, Washington quad; Latitude 47 degrees, 15 minutes, 00 seconds N. and Longitude 120 degrees, 22 minutes, 01 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 44 degrees F. These soils are usually moist, but are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days following summer solstice. The thickness of andic soil material is 24 to 40 inches or more and has an estimated moist bulk density of 0.85 to 1.10 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 10 to 30 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 1.0 to 2.0 percent, 15-bar water retention of 5 to 12 percent and 40 to 75 percent angular basalt pebbles and cobbles. The umbric epipedon is 10 to 35 inches thick.
The A horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist, 2 to 5 dry. Texture is very gravelly ashy sandy loam, gravelly ashy sandy loam, stony ashy loam, ashy loam or gravelly ashy loam. Reaction is slightly acid to strongly acid.
An AB horizon is present in some pedons.
The Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 to 7 dry and chroma of 3 to 6 dry and moist. Texture is very cobbly ashy sandy loam, gravelly ashy loam, very gravelly ashy sandy loam, very gravelly ashy loam, extremely cobbly ashy sandy loam, extremely cobbly ashy loam, or very cobbly ashy loam. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral.
The 2Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 3 to 6 moist, 4 to 6 dry. Texture is extremely gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely cobbly loam, very cobbly loam, or very cobbly sandy loam. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series. Soils with a similar classification include the Bagmont, Pird and Yawhee series. Bagmont soils have a glassy mineralogy and are 20 to 40 inches deep to paralithic contact. Pird soils have amorphic mineralogy, a particle size control section with 5 to 30 percent glass and 2.0 to 3.0 percent acid oxalate Al + 1/2 Fe and lack a loamy-skeletal discontinuity within 40 inches. Yawhee soils have a glassy mineralogy, a mollic epipedon 10 to 15 inches thick, a buried argillic horizon within 40 inches of the mineral soil surface, and estimated glass content of 60 to 70 percent in the ash mantle.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Naxing soils are on mountain sides and ridges. Slopes are 0 to 70 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from Yakima basalt mixed with volcanic ash and loess. Rock fragments are angular. Elevation is 4,600 to 7,000 feet. The climate is characterized by cool, moderately dry summers and cold moist winters, with a snow pack from December through April. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 55 inches but ranges to 22 inches where recognized as a dry phase. The average January temperature is about 22 degrees F. and the average July temperature is about 60 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 43 degrees F. The frost-free season is 30 to 75 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Darland and Snowplow soils and the similar Saydab soils. Darland soils have a mollic epipedon 20 to 33 inches thick and are on south-facing mountain sides and ridges. Saydab soils are on smooth mountain summits, ridges, and mountain sides. Snowplow soils are ashy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, recreation, wildlife habitat and watershed. Vegetation is Englemann spruce, subalpine fir, western larch, lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir, with an understory of elk sedge, pinegrass, Jacobs-ladder, polemonium, lupine, and dwarf huckleberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima Counties, Washington; MLRA 3. This series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kittitas County, Washington, 1979.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric epipedon - from 2 to 18 inches (A1 and A2 horizons)
Cambic horizon - from 18 to 60 inches (Bw1, Bw2, and Bw3 horizons)
Andic soil properties - from 2 to 38 inches (Depth of andic soil material is estimated.)
Particle-size control section - from 2 to 42 inches with the zone from 2 to 38 inches qualifying as ashy-skeletal and from 38 to 42 inches qualifying as loamy-skeletal.
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features found within the range of characteristics are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.
Revision in 2/2002 reflected a change in the pedon type location for the series to more accurately reflect the series concept and landscape where found.