LOCATION WAITS WA+MTEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Waits ashy loam - forested. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Oe--0 to 1.5 inches; loose, partially decomposed organic litter composed of needles, leaves, and twigs; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)
E--1.5 to 2 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) ashy very fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (1/8 to 1 inch thick)
Bw1--2 to 9 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) ashy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium, few coarse roots; many fine pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bw2--9 to 16 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) ashy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium, few coarse roots; many fine pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2BC--16 to 25 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and medium, few coarse roots; many fine pores; 15 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
2C1--25 to 38 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) gravelly loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium, few coarse roots; common fine pores; 20 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
2C2--38 to 60 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) gravelly loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine pores; 25 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2)
TYPE LOCATION: Stevens County, Washington; about 4 miles NW of Colville; 1,300 feet north and 1,300 feet east of the southwest corner of section 20, T. 36 N., R. 40 E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are usually moist but are dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches from 45 to 60 consecutive days following the summer solstice. Mean annual soil temperature is 44 to 46 degrees F. The mantle of volcanic ash and loess is 7 to 14 inches thick.
The E horizon has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2.
The Bw horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 3 or 4. It is ashy very fine sandy loam, ashy loam, or ashy silt loam, and is neutral or slightly alkaline. Pebbles range from 5 to 15 percent; cobbles and stones range from 0 to 5 percent.
The 2BC horizon has value of 6 or 7 when dry and 4 or 5 when moist, and chroma of 3 or 4 when dyr and moist. Texture is gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The 2C horizons has value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. They are gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam and are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Pebbles range from 15 to 32 percent; cobbles and stone range from 0 to 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ardenmont, Cobbler, Downeygulch, Enson, Labuck, Stataloop, and Yocridge series. All of these soils lack free carbonates in the particle-size control section. In addition , Downeygulch and Yocridge soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Waits soils are on foothills at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 feet. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. These soils formed in volcanic ash and loess over calcareous glacial till. They have a climate characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches. The average January temperature is 23 degrees F, the average July temperature is 66 degrees F, and the mean annual temperature is 43 to 45 degrees F. The frost-free season is 90 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ahren, Belzar, Bonner, Donavan, Eloika, Nevine, Smackout, and the competing Aits soils. Ahren and Smackout soils are fine-loamy. Belzar and Nevine soils are loamy-skeletal. Bonner soils are coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal. Donavan soils have a mollic epipedon and a mesic soil temperature regime. Eloika soils are medial over loamy and a mesic soil temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly timber with cleared area used for hay, pasture, and grain. Native vegetation is Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, western larch, grand fir, quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, kinnikinnick, strawberry, redstem ceanothus, pinegrass, wild rose, hazelnut, Oregon-grape, and mallow ninebark.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Washington and Northwestern Montana. The series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Stevens County, Washington, l913.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recongnized in this pedon are an ochric epipedon from the mineral surface to 9 inches and a cambic horizon from 9 to 16 inches. The volcanic ash mantle is 7 to 14 inches thick and has an estimated 30 to 60 percent volcanic glass, 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 less than 12 percent for air dried samples.