LOCATION CHIMNEY CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Typic Xeropsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Chimney gravelly loamy coarse sand--on a northeast-facing slope of 11 percent under Jeffrey pine, California black oak, antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sagebrush, and squawcarpet--forestland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on October 28, 1983, the soil was moist from 0 to 15 inches and nearly dry below 15 inches). The soil surface has a mat of undecomposed forest litter of pine needles, twigs, and cones about 1 inch thick.
A1--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter) and 5 percent medium and coarse gravel (5 to 75 mm diameter); slightly acid (pH 6.1); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 13 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter); slightly acid (pH 6.5) clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 4 to 14 inches).
AC--13 to 20 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter); slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
C1--20 to 35 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine, common medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter) and 5 percent medium and coarse gravel (5 to 75 mm diameter); slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (23 to 37 inches thick)
C2--35 to 42 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter); few 1 to 2 mm silt bands; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.
C3--42 to 52 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; no roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter); slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.
2C--52 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) stratified sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; no roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 3 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter); slightly acid (pH 6.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; about 4 miles southeast of Buntingville at the base of the Diamond Mountains; 0.9 mile along the dirt road which is west of US Highway 395 at a point 0.4 mile south of the southern intersection of Lake Crest Road and Highway 395; 500 feet west and 600 feet south of the northeast corner of section 1, T. 27 N., R. 13 E.; USGS Stony Ridge 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 14 minutes 0 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees 27 minutes 17 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - These soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section (25 inches to bedrock) from August 1 to November 1 (92 days) and moist in all parts from November 15 to June 1. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from April 1 to December 15 (225 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F. from May 1 to December 1; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 50 degrees F.
Ochric epipedon thickness - 4 to 14 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 60 to 80 inches to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rocks such as granodiorite.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 2 to 7 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 30 percent, mainly fine (2 to 5 mm diameter) gravel. Lithology of fragments are granitic rocks such as granodiorite.
Base saturation by ammonium acetate - 60 to 75 percent between depths of 10 and 30 inches.
Other features - The soil surface is covered with 5 to 30 percent gravel.
A horizons - Dry color: 10YR 6/4, 6/3, 5/3, or 5/2.
Moist color: 10YR 4/3, 3/4, 3/3, or 3/2; horizons with color of 10YR 5/3 or 5/2 dry and 10YR 3/3 or 3/2 moist, are less than 10 inches thick.
Rock fragments: 15 to 30 percent.
C horizons - Dry color: 10YR 7/4, 6/4, 6/3, or 5/4.
Moist color: 10YR 5/4, 4/4, 4/3, or 3/3.
Texture: Loamy coarse sand, coarse sand, sand, gravelly loamy coarse sand, gravelly coarse sand, or gravelly sand.
Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent gravel.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Base saturation: 50 to 60 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bisbee, Coneward, Dart, Ewall, Panamaker, and Preston series.
Bisbee and Dart soils are dry in all parts for 75 to 90 consecutive days and have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Coneward soils have Bt horizons and are dry in all parts for 110 to 120 consecutive days. Ewall soils average less than 5 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Panamaker soils have 15 to 30 percent volcanic glass in the particle-size control section. Preston soils are dominated by fine sands, average less than 5 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section, and are slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chimney soils are on mountains. They typically occur on north-facing backslope and toeslope positions. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. These soils formed in colluvium derived from granitic rocks. Elevation ranges from 4,200 to 5,800 feet. The climate is subhumid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 16 to 25 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 50 degrees F., mean January temperature is about 30 degrees F., and mean July temperature is about 65 degrees F. The frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonta, Janile, Mottsville, and Waterman soils. Bonta soils are coarse-loamy, moderately deep to paralithic contacts, and have argillic horizons. Janile soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts and have low base saturation. Mottsville soils have mollic epipedons. Waterman soils are sandy-skeletal and shallow to lithic contacts.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low or low surface runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Chimney soils are used for livestock grazing, urban development, and timber production. The vegetation is a forest canopy of Jeffrey pine and California black oak with an understory of antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sagebrush, and squawcarpet.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 7,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 22A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lassen County (Susanville Area Soil Survey), California, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 13 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (AC and C1 horizons and parts of the A2 and C2 horizons).