LOCATION QUINNAMOSE WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Quinnamose ashy loam, timbered; on an east-facing slope of 35 percent at 3,280 feet elevation. When described on May 15, 2000, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. All textures are apparent field textures.)
Oi--0 to 1 inches; slightly decomposed needles, leaves, and twigs.
Oe--1 to 3 inches; moderately decomposed plant material.
A--3 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) ashy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 1 percent fine mica flakes; 2 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
BA--9 to 12 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 2 percent fine mica flakes; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--12 to 31 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 5 percent fine mica flakes; 5 percent paragravel and 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary.
Bw2--31 to 51 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) paragravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent fine mica flakes; 15 percent paragravel and 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the 2Bw horizon is 20 to 40 inches thick)
BC--51 to 58 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) paragravelly sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent fine and medium mica flakes; 25 percent paragravel and 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Cr--58 to 68 inches; highly weathered, micaceous schist; weakly to moderately cemented, easily dug with a spade.
TYPE LOCATION: Spokane County, WA; About 1.5 miles west of Mica Peak and .75 mile south of Belmont Road; about 1,835 feet east and 1,480 feet north of the southwest corner of section 16, T. 24 N., R. 45 E. Latitude - 47 degrees 32 minutes 4.66 seconds N and Longitude - 117 degrees 8 minutes, 45.46 seconds W; NAD 83
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 44 to 46 degrees F.
Moisture control section - dry in all parts between 8 and 24 inches, 45 to 60 days after the summer solstice, July to September, moist October through June
Depth to weathered bedrock - 40 to 60 inches
Thin, recent (1980) volcanic ash layer - .25 to .75 inch thick present in some pedons between the organic and mineral soil surface
Base saturation - less than 60 percent (NH4Oac) in all horizons between 10 and 30 inches
Volcanic ash influence - 8 to 14 inches thick
Estimated properties of the volcanic ash influenced layers:
Volcanic glass content - 5 to 20 percent
Acid oxalate Al + 1/2 Fe - 0.4 to 1.0 percent
Moist bulk density - 1.0 to 1.2 g/cc
15 bar water retention - 5 to 10 percent on air-dried samples
Clay content - 8 to 18 percent in the particle-size control section
A horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3, dry or moist
Gravel content - 0 to 10 percent
Mica content - 0 to 5 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
BA horizon
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture - ashy loam, ashy sandy loam or gravelly ashy loam
Gravel content - 5 to 20 percent
Mica content - 2 to 5 percent
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
2Bw horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Gravel content - 5 to 15 percent in the upper part, 10 to 20 percent in the lower part
Paragravel content - 0 to 15 percent
Total gravel and paragravel content - averages less than 35 percent
Texture - loam, sandy loam, paragravelly sandy loam, gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam
Mica content - 5 to 25 percent
Reaction - moderately acid to neutral
2BC horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 to 8 dry and 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry and moist
Texture -sandy loam, loam, paragravelly sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, or gravelly loam
Gravel content - 5 to 20 percent
Paragravel content - 5 to 25 percent
Total gravel and paragravel content - averages less than 40 percent
Mica content - 15 to 25 percent
Reaction - slightly acid or neutral
Some pedons have a 2C horizon above the Cr
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ardenmont, Cobbler, Enson, Greenbluff, Labuck, Micapeak and Stapaloop Series. Ardenmont soils are dry for 60-75 days. The Cobbler, Greenbluff, and Stapaloop soils are very deep. Enson soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a densic contact. Labuck and Micapeak(T) soils are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Quinnamose soils are on side slopes of mountains and foothills at elevations of 2,000 to 3,800 feet. They formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from granite and schist with minor amounts of loess and volcanic ash in the upper part. The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Slopes are 15 to 55 percent. The average annual precipitation is 25 to 30 inches. The average annual temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kramerhill, Kruse, Micapeak and Spokane soils. Kramerhill soils are mesic, deep to a paralithic contact, have fine-loamy argillic horizons, and are on convex backslopes of foothills. Kruse soils have fine-loamy argillic horizons, are very deep, and are on linear backslopes of foothills. Micapeak soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact and are on convex backslopes of foothills. Spokane soils are mesic, are moderately deep to a paralithic contact, and are on convex backslopes of foothills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for timber production, wildlife habitat, watershed, homesites, and recreation. Potential natural vegetation is mainly grand fir, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine, with an understory of mallow ninebark, creambush oceanspray, baldhip rose, pine reedgrass, Saskatoon serviceberry, common snowberry, white spirea, and low Oregon grape.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington, and possibly northern Idaho; MLRA43. Series is moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Spokane County, WA, 2002
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 3 to 12 inches (A and BA horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 12 to 51 inches (2Bw1 and 2Bw2 horizons)
Vitrandic feature - the zone from 3 to 12 inches (A and BA horizons)
Dystric Feature - the zone from 1 to 31 inches having a base saturation (NH4OAc) of less than 60 percent.
Paralithic contact - the zone beginning at 58 inches (2Cr horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 13 to 43 inches (part of the 2Bw1 and the 2Bw2 horizons)
Depth to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral layer.
The discontinuity in the 2Bw1 horizon represents the limit of the vitrandic feature and the influence of air-fall volcanic ash.
This series is correlated to the ABGR/PHMA habitat type.
This series has been reclassified (11/2006) from Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Dystroxerepts to Coarse-loamy, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerepts based on lab data collected in Spokane County, WA.