LOCATION SURVEYORS WATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, amorphic, mesic Humic Vitrixerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Surveyors ashy loam-forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are apparent field textures.
Oi--0 to 1 inch; needles, leaves, and twigs.
A--1 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine pebbles 2 to 4 mm in size; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--6 to 14 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic, weakly smeary; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent fine pebbles 2 to 4 mm in size; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
2Bw2--14 to 26 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) ashy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine, few fine, and few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 40 percent saprolitic pebbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 19 inches thick)
2Bw3--26 to 34 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) ashy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots; many fine irregular and common fine tubular pores; 70 percent saprolitic pebbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
2C--34 to 61 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; common fine irregular pores; 80 percent saprolitic pebbles; moderately acid (pH 5.9).
TYPE LOCATION: Yakima Indian Reservation, Yakima County, Washington; about 9 miles northwest of Glenwood; 1,300 feet south and 1,150 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 32, T. 8N., R. 13E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts for 75 to 90 consecutive days within the 4 months that follow the summer solstice in 6 or more years out of 10. The soil has a bulk density of less then .95 g/cc to a depth of 10 to 13 inches. On a weighted average the particle-size control section is 5 to 20 percent hard rock fragments and 20 to 80 percent saprolitic pebbles. Below the particle-size control section, saprolitic pebbles range from 25 to 80 percent. Reaction is sightly acid or moderately acid throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 2 through 4 dry and moist.
The Bw horizon has hue of 5YR through 10YR, value of 4 through 6 dry, and chroma of 3 through 6 dry and moist. It is loam or gravelly loam.
The 2Bw horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 2 to 6 dry and moist. It is loam or gravelly loam with 20 to 80 percent soft saprolitic rock fragments.
The 2C horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 dry and moist. Hard rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chenawa, Germany, Nesika, Pinbit and Raught series. Chenawa, Germany and Raught soils are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days and lack soft rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Nesika soils are dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days. Pinbit soils are dry for 75 to 90 consecutive days and lack soft rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Surveyors soils are on plateaus and benches at elevations of 2,500 to 3,200 feet. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. The soils formed in a thin surface mantle of volcanic ash and residuum from Simcoe basalt. The climate is characterized by cool, dry summers and cool, wet winters with snow cover from November to early May. Average annual precipitation is 30 to 40 inches. Average January temperature is 25 degrees F; average July temperature is 63 degrees F. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 47 degrees F. Frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pileup soils. Pileup soils are frigid.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for timber production, grazable woodland and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and grand fir with an understory of western hazel, snowbrush ceanothus, common snowberry, and pinegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Peavine Ridge area on the Yakima Indian Reservation, Yakima County, Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES PROPOSED: Yakima County, Washington, 1982.
REMARKS: Classification changed 1/00 from medial, mesic Andic Xerumbrepts to ashy, amorphic, mesic Humic Vitrixerands based on amendments to Soil Taxonomy and lab data from associated Mountadams series.
Diagnostic horizons and features include:
Umbric epipedon - from 1 to 26 inches
Cambic horizon - from 26 to 34 inches
Andic properties - from 1 to 34 inches having 10 to 30 percent glass, 1 to 2 percent ammonium oxalate aluminum plus 1/2 iron, and 15-bar water retention of 10 to 14 percent.
Depths to diagnostic horizons and features are measured from the top of the first mineral horizon.