LOCATION HIGHROCK CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Highrock fine sandy loam--on a slope of less than 1 percent under black greasewood, spiny hopsage, and bud sagebrush--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described June 13, 1983 the soil was nearly dry.)
A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular and interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Btn--3 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots around peds; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary.
Btkn--8 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and bridging mineral grains; secondary carbonates segregated as few fine and medium filaments near the lower horizon boundary; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 7 to 12 inches.)
Bknz1--12 to 27 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as many medium and coarse masses; soluble sodium salts segregated as common fine filaments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary.
2Bknz2--27 to 42 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates and soluble sodium salts segregated as common fine and medium filaments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 12 to 30 inches.)
2Cnz--42 to 65 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; soluble sodium salts segregated as common fine filaments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; in Honey Lake Valley about 2 miles southwest of High Rock Ranch, 1.0 mile southwest of Stacy, and 0.2 mile north of the Honey Lake Cemetery; USGS Calneva Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; about 1,600 feet south and 20 feet east of the apparent northwest corner of section 2, T. 27 N., R. 17 E.; 40 degrees 13 minutes 34 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees 02 minutes 10 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - These soils are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section (6 to 18 inches) from April 15 to November 15 (215) days and moist in all parts from December 15 to March 15. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from March 1 to December 1 (275 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F. from April 15 to November 15; Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 53 to 56 degrees F.
Depth to calcareous soil material - 0 to 5 inches.
Depth to identifiable secondary carbonates - 8 to 12 inches.
Depth to base of natric horizon - 11 to 16 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 27 to 35 percent; Sand content: 40 to 50 percent; Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel. Lithology of fragments are mainly volcanic rocks such as basalt and tuff.
A horizon - Dry color: 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 7/2 or 8/2.
Moist color: 10YR 3/3, 4/2, 4/3 or 5/3.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 5 to 15.
Btn and Btkn horizons - Dry color: 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4 or 7.5YR 5/4.
Moist color: 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 5/4 or 7.5YR 4/4.
Texture: Sandy clay loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Few to common masses or filaments in the Btkn horizon.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 40 to 80.
Bknz1 horizon - Dry color: 10YR 6/3, 6/4, or 7/3.
Moist color: 10YR 3/4 or 4/4.
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 40 to 270.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as masses and filaments.
Visible soluble salts: Filaments of sodium sulfate salts such as mirabilite are present.
2Bknz2 and 2Cnz horizons - Dry color: 10YR 6/3, 7/2, 7/3 or 5Y 6/3.
Moist color: 10YR 4/3, 5/3 or 2.5Y 4/4.
Texture: Loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Visible soluble salts: Filaments of sodium sulfate salts such as mirabilite are present.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 80 to 250.
Other features: Sandy substratum phases are recognized that have stratified fine sand, sand and loamy fine sand 2C horizons at a depth of 23 to 35 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Azabache, Benally, Fajada, Hadden (T), Homko, Leebench, Leeko, Muff, Pizene, Recapture, Rusty, Swasey, Terlco, and Uffens series.
Azabache soils have horizons with more than 35 percent rock fragments between 15 and 40 inches. Benally soils have horizons with secondary gypsum below the natric horizon. Fajada, Hadden, and Muff soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Homko soils have calcic horizons and horizons with secondary gypsum below the natric horizon. Leebench soils have calcic horizons. Leeko soils have calcic horizons and horizons with more than 35 percent rock fragments between 40 and 60 inches. Pizene soils have 18 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section, have albic horizons, and do not have horizons with visible soluble sodium salts. Recapture soils have hue of 2.5YR or 5YR. Rusty soils have 20 to 28 percent clay in the particle-size control section and do not have horizons with visible soluble sodium salts. Swasey soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Terlco soils are intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during summer months and have subhorizons of the natric horizon with more than 35 percent rock fragments. Uffens soils do not have horizons with identifiable secondary carbonates or visible sodium salts.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Highrock soils are on lake terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from basalt over lacustrine deposits derived from mixed sources. Small hummocks of eolian sand occur around bases of large shrubs. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 4,050 feet. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 8 inches, mean annual temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Clems, Mazuma, and Wespac soils. Clems and Mazuma soils are coarse-loamy. Wespac soils are dry less than 200 days.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Highrock soils are used for rangeland. The vegetation is mainly black greasewood, spiny hopsage, basin wildrye, and bud sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 4,300 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 27.
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 3 inches (A horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 3 to 12 inches (Btn and Btkn horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 8 to 42 inches (Btkn, Bknz1, and 2Bknz2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 3 to 12 inches (Btn and Btkn horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon near the series type location is sampled for full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory (SSL), Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S84CA-035-005 (pedon # 84P0752).