LOCATION CELERIDGE               CA

Established Series
Rev. EWB/JVC/JBF
03/2017

CELERIDGE SERIES

The Celeridge series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite. Celeridge soils are on mountains. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 500 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Celeridge extremely bouldery sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 15 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones, and 20 percent boulders, and up to 5 cm of leaf litter.

A1--0 to 8 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely bouldery sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent stones, and 15 percent boulders; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--8 to 20 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

Bt1--20 to 33 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine through medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 18 cm thick)

Bt2--33 to 48 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 60 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

R--48 cm; hard fractured andesite.

TYPE LOCATION: Alpine County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 2 miles north of Leviathan Peak; approximately 1,450 feet north and 2,400 feet west of the southeast corner of section 18, T. 10 N., R. 21 E.; USGS Topaz Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 42 minutes 40.3 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 36 minutes 14.3 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.7111944 latitude, -119.6039722 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6 to 8 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 15 to 17 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 36 to 50 cm, includes the Bt horizons.
Depth to bedrock: 36 to 50 cm to lithic contact.
Sodium fluoride pH: 8.5 to 9.0.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent. Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 80 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite.

A horizons
Chroma: 1 or 2 moist.
Organic matter content: 5 to 8 percent.

Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, or extremely gravelly loam.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 3 to 5 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anaud, Bellenmine, Cleavage, Cleavmor, Cropper, Gabica, Gaciba, Genoa, Gerdog, Gidwin, Grandeposit, Granquin, Grosschat, Hawkridge, Hutchley, Loope, Majorsplace, Mascamp, Melling, Pernog, Pernty, Realmcoy, Rozara, Shalcleav, Shalper, Slatter, Tractuff, and Tweener series.

Anaud, Bellenmine, Cleavage, Cleavmor, Cropper, Gaciba, Grosschat, Mascamp, Pernty, Shalper, Slatter, Tractuff, and Tweener soils have an aridic moisture regime. Gabica soils average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and have 1 or 2 percent organic matter in the mollic epipedon. Genoa soils have mollic epipedons that are 25 to 36 cm thick, are dominated by cobbles in the particle-size control section, and have rock fragments that are granitic rocks. Gerdog soils are 18 to 36 cm to the lithic contact and have 2 to 4 percent organic matter in the A horizons. Gidwin soils have mollic epipedons with less than 5 percent organic matter. Grandeposit, Granquin and Realmcoy soils have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Hawkridge soils have 1 to 4 percent organic matter in the mollic epipedon and average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Hutchley soils have subhorizons of the argillic horizon with 28 to 35 percent clay. Loope soils have 2 to 4 percent organic matter in the A horizons and have a mean summer soil temperature of 17 to 19 degrees C. Melling soils average 35 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and are dry for 45 to 60 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice. Pernog soils are dominated by stones and have more than 27 percent clay in some part of the particle-size control section. Rozara soils are dominated by fine gravel, have rock fragments that are granitic rocks, have 14 to 18 percent clay, and average 45 to 60 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Shalcleav soils are dominated by channers and flagstones and are 10 to 30 cm to a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Celeridge soils are on mountains. They typically occur on shoulder or backslope positions. They formed in colluvium and residuum derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite. Slopes are 4 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 1,980 to 2,530 meters. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 600 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Carshal, Chenhigh, and Leroman soils. Carshal soils have ochric epipedons, do not have argillic horizons, and are less than 36 cm in depth to paralithic contacts. Chenhigh soils are clayey-skeletal. Leroman soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts and have thick mollic epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; moderate permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Celeridge soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly curl-leaf mountain mahogany, snowberry, antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sagebrush, and western needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive with about 8,400 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRAs 22A and 26.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alpine County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 48 cm (A1, A2, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 20 to 48 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 48 cm to underlying hard bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 48 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

The revision of October 2003 updated the taxonomic class from Loamy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Lithic Argixerolls. The isotic mineralogy class was based solely on the field determined values for sodium fluoride pH. Laboratory data on 15 bar water to clay ratio does not exist to verify the isotic mineralogy class.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.