LOCATION HOVDE WAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Aeric Endoaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Hovde silt loam - on a l percent linear east facing slope under a forest canopy of black cottonwood and red alder at 10 feet elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
0i--l inch to 0; leaves and twigs.
A--0 to 9 inches; very dark grayish brown (l0YR 3/2) silt loam,
light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; few fine prominent mottles of strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) dry; weak medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine irregular pores; l0 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to l0 inches thick)
2C1--9 to l3 inches; very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) extremely gravelly coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; single grain, loose; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 60 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
2C2--l3 to 29 inches; dark brown (l0YR 4/3) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (l0YR 5/3) dry; single grain; loose; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 40 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary (l0 to 20 inches thick)
2C3--29 to 39 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) very gravelly coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) dry; single grain; loose; common very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 45 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to l5 inches thick)
2C4--39 to 60 inches; very dark grayish brown (l0YR 3/2) very gravelly medium sand, dark grayish brown (l0YR 4/2) dry; single grain; loose; few very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 50 percent pebbles; strongly acid (pH 5.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Whatcom County, Washington; about 1 1/2 miles west of Marietta; l,000 feet south and 2,300
feet east of the northwest corner of sec. l8, T. 38 N., R. 2 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 54 degrees F. The weighted average of rock fragments in the control section ranges from 40 to 55 percent.
The A horizon has hue of l0YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 5 or 6 dry. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The C horizon has hue of l0YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is very gravelly sand, very gravelly coarse sand, extremely gravelly sand, or extremely gravelly coarse sand. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Juno and Neptune soils in other families. Juno soils have a udic moisture regime. Neptune soils have a mollic epipedon and a xeric moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hovde soils are on marine terraces at elevations of 5 to 20 feet. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in marine sediments and gravelly coastal beach deposits. Hovde soils are in a marine climate with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches. Mean January temperature is about 37 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 62 degrees F. Mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The frost-free season is l50 to l90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Neptune soils and the Eliza soils. Eliza soils are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff; very rapid permeability. An apparent high water table is at 0 to 6 inches sometimes from November through April. These soils are subject to frequent brief periods of flooding from November through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used principally for wildlife and watershed. Native vegetation is western redcedar, red alder, and black cottonwood, with an undergrowth of salmonberry, Douglas spirea, rose, sedges, and stinging nettle.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal lowlands in northwestern Washington. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Whatcom County, Washington, l945.
REMARKS: Classification is based on an aquic moisture regime. It is assumed the sand grains are lithochromatic or mottles are so fragile they cannot be observed and described because pit walls collapse when watertable is deep or the pit is full of water. Hand "grab" samples do not exhibit mottles.