LOCATION RAISIO WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Raisio shaly loam - open woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--1.5 inches to 0; loose organic litter, including pine needles, twigs, bark and cones; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) shaly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium, and few coarse roots; many fine pores; 20 percent shaly fragments; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw--5 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very flaggy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium and few coarse roots; many fine pores; 25 percent shaly fragments and 25 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
C1--9 to 18 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely flaggy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; 25 percent shaly fragments and 40 percent flagstones; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
C2--18 to 26 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) extremely flaggy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; few fine pores; 25 percent shaly fragments and 50 percent flagstones; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C3--26 to 30 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) extremely flaggy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; 65 percent hard phyllite fragments; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
R--30 inches; phyllite.
TYPE LOCATION: Stevens County, Washington; 900 feet south and 150 feet east of the NW corner of sec. 4. T. 33 N., R. 38 E., W.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. The soil is usually moist during part of the year but is dry in parts between depths of 8 and 24 inches or to a lithic contact for 75 to 90 consecutive days during summer and autumn. The depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The solum and the mollic epipedon are 7 to 10 inches thick. The upper 7 to 14 inches has an estimated moist bulk density of 1.25 to 1.45 g/cc, volcanic glass content of 5 to 20 percent, acid-oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half of the acid-oxalate extractable iron of 0.4 to 1.0 percent, and 15-bar water retention of 5 to 10 percent for air dried samples. The particle-size control section has 35 to 80 percent shaly fragments and flagstones. It is slightly acid to neutral.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It has fine or medium granular to fine or medium subangular blocky structure. Shaly fragments range from 15 to 30 percent.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist and chroma of 2 or 3. It has fine or medium subangular blocky structure. Texture is loam or sandy loam with 20 to 30 percent shaly fragments and 15 to 30 percent flagstones.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist and chroma of 1 to 3 moist and dry. Texture is loam or sandy loam with 20 to 30 percent shaly fragments and 30 to 50 percent flagstones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Borgeau, Garrison, Louiecreek, Vanbrunt, Wagberg and Whitestone series. Borgeau, Garrison, Louiecreek and Whitestone soils are more than 40 inches deep to a lithic contact. Vanbrunt soils have a solum 16 to 25 inches thick. Wagberg soils are dry for 90 to 105 consecutive days and are more than 40 inches deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Raisio soils are on footslopes, sideslopes, and ridgetops of mountains at elevations of 1,800 to 4,700 feet. Aspect is usually south-facing. Slopes are convex and are 0 to 65 percent. The soils formed in residuum and colluvium from shaly rock (argillite, phyllite, slate and shale), modified in places by glacial till, volcanic ash and loess. The climate is characterized by warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation is mostly 20 to 30 inches, but dry and warm phases receive 15 to 20 inches. The mean temperature in January is 25 degrees F, in July 67 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is 46 to 48 degrees F. The frost-free season ranges from 90 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aits, Dehart, Hartill, Huckleberry, Maki, Oxerine, Rufus, Scoap, Stevens, and Wellscreek soils. Aits, Dehart, Scoap, Stevens, and Wellscreek soils are more than 40 inches in depth. Aits and Stevens soils are also coarse-loamy. Hartill and Oxerine soils have a mantle of volcanic ash 7 to 14 inches thick and are frigid. Huckleberry soils are medial over loamy-skeletal and have a cryic temperature regime. Maki soils are calcareous. Rufus soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to a lithic contact. Scoap soils are frigid.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazable woodland. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir, with an understory of common snowberry, Saskatoon serviceberry, ceanothus, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, arrowleaf balsamroot, lupine, pinegrass, and lomatium.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington. The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stevens County, Washington, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are a mollic epipedon from the mineral surface to 9 inches and a lithic contact at 30 inches. This description reflects a change in classification due to Andisol Order from Loamy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Entic Ultic Haploxerolls to Loamy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Vitrandic Haploxerolls.