LOCATION CHALONE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Chalone gravelly sandy loam on a northwest facing hill of 66 percent slope at an elevation of 2,241 feet (683 meters). When described on 12/15/2004 the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.
Oi--0 to 1 inches (0 to 3 centimeters); woody slightly decomposed plant material of oak leaves and twigs; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 1 inches, 0 to 3 centimeters thick)
Oe--1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 centimeters); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), moderately decomposed plant material, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches, 0 to 5 centimeters thick)
A--3 to 8 inches (8 to 21 centimeters); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2), moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 30 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches, 11 to 22 centimeters thick)
Bw1--8 to 13 inches (21 to 33 centimeters); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2), extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, and common fine and medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 80 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary.
Bw2--13 to 30 inches (33 to 77 centimeters); light gray (10YR 7/2), extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine irregular pores; 85 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon 7 to 25 inches, 19 to 64 centimeters)
R--30 to 33 inches (77 to 84 centimeters); hard bedrock of rhyolitic breccia, fractures at intervals of <4 inches (10 centimeters).
TYPE LOCATION: San Benito County, California; about 98 feet (30 meters) north of the High Peaks Trail at a point about 820 feet (250 meters) east of its intersection with the Condor Gulch Trail in Pinnacles National Monument; 636 feet west and 1,125 feet north of the southeast corner of section 34, T 16S, R 7E; USGS North Chalone Peak, California topographic quadrangle; 36 degrees 29 minutes 27.30 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 11 minutes 12.10 seconds west longitude; UTM 662194 meters E, 4039925 meters N, zone 10.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches (50 to 100 centimeters).
Mean annual soil temperature: 60 to 63 degrees F (16 to 17 degrees C).
Soil moisture control section: dry in all parts from about June 15 to November 15 (150 days), and moist in all parts from about January 15 to May 1 (105 days).
Particle size control section: 5 to 25 percent clay, 35 to 80 percent gravel.
A horizon(s):
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4, 5, 6 dry; 2, 3 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 dry; 1, 2, 3 moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Sandy loam, loam, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 3 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 50 percent gravel
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly alkaline
Bw horizon(s):
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 6, 7, 8 dry; 4, 5, 6 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, 4 dry; 2, 3, 4 moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Loamy coarse sand, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam
Clay content: 5 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent gravel
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brockgulch, Modjeska and Rackerby soils. Brockgulch soils have a Bt horizon, and an extremely gravelly C horizon. Modjeska soils are very deep with a C horizon. Rackerby soils are 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) deep to paralithic bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Chalone soils are on hills. Slopes range from 35 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from acidic volcanic breccia. Elevation is 985 to 2,700 feet (300 to 825 meters). The climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 17 to 19 inches (432 to 483 millimeters) and the mean annual air temperature is about 59 to 63 degrees F (15 to 17 degrees C). The frost free season is 190 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burgundy, Firstsister, Highpeaks and Knuckle soils. The Burgundy soils are very shallow to lithic bedrock on shoulder slopes under spikemoss. The Firstsister soils are very deep with a pachic epipedon on colluvial toeslopes under hollyleaf cherry. The Highpeaks soils are shallow to lithic bedrock with a mollic epipedon on convex hills under hollyleaf cherry or mixed chaparral. The Knuckle soils are sandy-skeletal and shallow to lithic bedrock on hills under chamise chaparral.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately slow permeability, very high runoff. They do not flood or pond.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, wildlife habitat and recreation. Vegetation is mixed chaparral.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Benito and Monterey Counties, California in MLRA 15 -- Central California Coast Range. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Benito County, California. Source of name from North Chalone Peak and Chalone Creek. This series was established based on limited acreage observed within the National Park Service Pinnacles National Monument boundary.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon: the zone from 3 to 8 inches (8 to 21 centimeters) (A horizon)
Cambic Horizon: 8 to 30 (21 to 77 centimeters) (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
Lithic Contact: 30 inches (77 centimeters) (R horizon)