LOCATION RENNIE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Vertic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Rennie silty clay loam, pasture. (Colors are for moist soils unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 7 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, common fine faint yellowish red (5YR 5/8) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) redox concentrations, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; moderate fine angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many coarse, medium, and fine roots; very porous; about 10 percent organic matter; strongly acid (pH 5.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Bg1--7 to 13 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay loam, common medium prominent dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) redox concentrations, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many medium and fine roots; very porous; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
B22g--13 to 38 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redox concentrations, gray (5Y 6/1) dry; strong fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 30 inches thick)
Bg3--38 to 54 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay, common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/8) redox concentrations, gray (5Y 6/1) dry redox depletions; moderate fine angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine roots; many fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Cg--54 to 64 inches; dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) clay, greenish gray (5GY 5/1) dry; massive; extremely hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Grays Harbor County, Washington; soil pit 25 feet south and west of fence corner 500 feet west of Henry Foster Road, 1 1/2 miles south of Brady; NE1/4 SE1/4 NW1/4 section 11, T.17N., R.7W., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum ranges from 40 to 60 inches or more thick. These soils are saturated with water most of the year unless artificially drained. They are moderately acid or strongly acid. The mean annual soil temperature is about 50 degrees F. The control section is dominantly silty clay or clay, but includes silty clay loam in the upper part. It averages 45 to 60 percent clay and has less than 10 percent coarse fragments.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6 dry, chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry, and is mottled. It has moderate granular or angular blocky structure.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5Y, value of 4 or 5 moist and 6 or 7 dry, chroma of 1 or 2 moist or dry. It is dominantly silty clay or clay but includes silty clay loam in the upper part. This horizon has moderate or strong angular blocky or subangular blocky structure.
The C horizon has hue of 5GY through 2.5Y or neutral, value of 3 through 5 moist and 4 through 7 dry, and chroma of 0 through 2 moist or dry. It is silty clay loam or clay with thin strata of coarser material in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bellingham and Moag series. The Bellingham, Moag and Rennie series need further review for adequate series separation.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Rennie soils are on bottomlands in the lowest part of the floodplain, or in swales adjacent to the terraces or uplands. Elevation ranges from sea level to 100 feet. These soils formed in fine textured mixed alluvial deposits derived from basic igneous and sedimentary rocks. Water ponds in winter after heavy rains or when streams overflow leaving thin layers of fresh alluvium on the surface. The soils occur in cool coastal areas where the average annual precipitation ranges from 70 to 120 inches. The mean January temperature is 39 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is 60 degrees F.; and the average annual temperature is 50 degrees F. The growing season (28 degrees F.) is between 180 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chehalis, Grehalem, and Ocosta soils. Chehalis and Grehalem soils are well drained. Ocosta soils are every strongly to extremely acid and are affected by tidal actions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff or ponded; slow permeability. Unless drained the soils are saturated most of the year.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils have been cleared and drained. They are used for production of pasture, hay, and silage. Small acreages have a forest cover of alder, maple, and hemlock with a dense understory of shrubs and water tolerant forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal areas of Western Washington. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grays Harbor County (Grays Harbor County Area), Washington, 1970.
REMARKS: Classification only changed 4/94 because of recent amendments to Soil Taxonomy.
The Rennie soils were formerly classified as Low Humic Gley soils.