LOCATION WARDEN WA+OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Warden very fine sandy loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine roots; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw--6 to 19 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 28 inches thick)
2Bk--19 to 40 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few thinly laminated lenses; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few secondary lime aggregates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 40 inches thick)
2C1--40 to 54 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
2C2--54 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few roots; few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Adams County, Washington; 100 feet south and 500 feet east of northwest corner, section 19, T. 16 N., R. 30 E., WM.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F. These soils are continuously dry in all parts between depths of 4 and 12 inches from about May 1 to October 1. The depth to secondary carbonates is 15 to 38 inches. Some pedons may have a duripan below 40 inches.
The Ap horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry.
The Bw horizon has value of 5 or 6 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 to 4 moist or dry. Texture is very fine sandy loam or silt loam.
The 2Bk horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist and chroma of 2 or 3 moist or dry. Texture is stratified silt loam and very fine sandy loam.
The 2C horizon is stratified silt loam to loamy fine sand. Vertical or diagonal clastic dikes occur within some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Owyhee, Sagemoor, Shano, and Stingalseries. Owyhee soils have laminated Bkq and C horizons formed in lacustrine sediments at a depth of 20 to 35 inches. Sagemoor soils have continuous thin laminations within a depth of 15 to 30 inches. Shano soils have a solum depth of more than 60 inches and do not have stratified substratum layers.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Warden soils are on terraces and terrace escarpments at elevations of 500 to 1,300 feet. Slopes are 0 to 65 percent. The climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. The average January temperature is 27 degrees F. and the average July temperature is 71 degrees F.The mean annual temperature is 49 to 53 degrees F. The frost-free season is 135 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gravden, Kennewick, Royal, Sagehill, Taunton, and Wahluke soils and the competing Sagemoor and Shano soils. Kennewick soils are calcareous in all parts and are on terraces. Royal, Sagehill, and Taunton soils are coarse-loamy and are on terraces. Taunton soils also have a duripan. Gravden soils are loamy-skeletal, have a duripan, and are on terraces. Wahluke soils are weakly cemented, have no cambic horizon, and are on lake beds and terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for irrigated cropland, livestock grazing, and some dryland cropland. Dryland crops are wheat and rye in a summer fallow system. Irrigated crops include wheat, grass legume hay, potatoes, dry beans, dry peas, tree fruit, hops, mint, and vegetables. Native vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, needleandthread, and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Washington and north-central Oregon. MLRA 7, 8. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Columbia Basin area Reconnaissance, Washington, 1929.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches
Cambic horizon - the zone from 6 to 19 inches
Carbonate accumulation - the zone from 19 to 40 inches. The calcium carbonate equivalent is assumed to be less than 15 percent.
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches