LOCATION LYDON CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, isotic, mesic Andic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Lydon very gravelly medial coarse sandy loam on an east facing 5 percent slope under a cover of California black oak and scattered mixed conifers at an elevation of 3630 feet, (1106 m). When described on 11/27/1995, the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 0.5 inches, (0 to 1 cm); oak and pine litter.
Oe--0.5 to 1 inch, (1 to 2 cm); partially decomposed oak and pine litter.
A--1 to 3 inches, (2 to 7 cm); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly medial coarse sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 11 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores and common medium and coarse irregular pores; noneffervescent; 2 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.7 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.7; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches, (5 to 18 cm) thick)
Bw1--3 to 6 inches, (7 to 15 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly medial coarse sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; 10 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular pores, common very fine and fine tubular pores and common medium irregular pores; noneffervescent; 10 percent cobbles and 35 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.8 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.8; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--6 to 13 inches, (15 to 33 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 11 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores and common medium irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 15 percent cobbles and 50 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.5; clear smooth boundary.
Bw3--13 to 21 inches, (33 to 53 cm); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 15 percent clay; moderate fine granular structure; loose, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots and few coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores and common medium irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 25 percent cobbles and 65 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.2; clear smooth boundary.
Bw4--21 to 35 inches, (53 to 88 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely cobbly fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 16 percent clay; moderate fine granular structure; loose, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores and common medium irregular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 70 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; moderately acid pH 5.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.3; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 13 to 38 inches, (33 to 97 cm) thick).
R--35 inches, (88 cm); fractured indurated andesite; fractures are 8 to 20 inches, (20 to 51 cm) apart.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 0.6 miles southeast of Ewalt Camp, approximately 2100 feet east and 350 feet north of the northwest corner of Section 2, Township 24 N., Range 3 E.; in an unsectionized area, 39 degrees, 58 minutes, 30.3 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 36 minutes, 30.4 seconds West longitude, NAD27. - U.S.G.S. Quad: Stirling City, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic bedrock is 20 to 40 inches, (51 to 102 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 59 degrees F, (11 to 15 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about July to about October (about 90 days). The particle-size control section averages 12 to 20 percent clay, and 35 to 80 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is isotic. Acid Oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe ranges from 2.94 in the A horizon to 1.34 in the Bw4 horizon. Rock fragments on the surface range from 20 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones.
The A horizon dry color is 5YR 6/4, 7.5YR 5/3, 6/3 or 10YR 4/2. Moist color is 5YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/3, 7.5YR 3/2, 3/4 or 4/3. Texture is very gravelly medial coarse sandy loam, very gravelly medial sandy loam or gravelly medial sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 10 to 18 percent. Rock fragments range from 20 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones. Organic matter ranges from 10 to 18 percent. Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 30 to 40 percent. NaF pH ranges from 10 to 11. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The upper part of the Bw horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/4, 5/3, 5/4, 6/4, 6/6, 10YR 5/3 or 6/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 5YR 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is very gravelly medial coarse sandy loam, gravelly medial sandy loam, very gravelly medial sandy loam or extremely gravelly medial sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 10 to 18 percent. Rock fragments range from 10 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones. Organic matter ranges from 3 to 13 percent. Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 25 to 35 percent. NaF pH ranges from 9.8 to 11. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The lower part of the Bw horizon dry color is 7.5YR 6/3, 6/4, 10YR 6/3 or 6/4. Moist color is 5YR 4/4, 7.5YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4 or 10YR 4/3. Texture is very gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam or extremely cobbly fine sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 12 to 20 percent. Rock fragments range from 20 to 65 percent gravel, 15 to 70 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 5 percent. Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 35 to 45 percent. NaF pH ranges from 9.5 to 10.5. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Lyre, Mcelroy, Ovall, Schneider, Siouxon and Yedlick series. Lyre and Mcelroy soils are very deep. Yedlick soils are very deep and have a hue of 5YR. Schneider and Siouxon soils are deep. Ovall soils have a moisture control section that is dry for 60 to 75 consecutive days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lydon soils are on ridge tops and side slopes on volcanic ridges in Cascade mountains. Slopes range from 2 to 100 percent. These soils formed in weathered tephra over residuum and colluvium weathered from volcanic rocks, predominantly mudflow breccia. Elevation is 2040 to 6090 feet, (622 to 1856 m). The mean annual precipitation is 55 to 80 inches, (1397 to 2032 mm). The mean annual temperature is 49 to 56 degrees F, (9 to 13 degrees C). Frost free season is 95 to 230 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beecee, Redbone, Mountyana and Paradiso soils. Beecee soils are on concave and planar side slopes, are medial-skeletal and are very deep. Redbone soils are on ridge tops, are medial over loamy-skeletal and are deep to a paralithic contact. Mountyana soils are on ridge tops, are fine-loamy and are very deep to a paralithic contact. Paradiso soils are on ridge tops, are fine and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; high runoff; moderately rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, wildlife habitat and watershed. Vegetation is California black oak, tanoak, canyon live oak, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, incense cedar and sugar pine, Pacific poison oak, California needlegrass, carex, California honeysuckle, greenleaf manzanita, Orcutt brome and deerbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California. MLRA 22B - Southern Cascade Mountains. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is from Phillip Lydon, a geologist who mapped much of the Tuscan Formation and determined that Mount Yana is the source of the Tuscan Formation in Butte County.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 1 to 6 inches, (2.54 to 15 cm) (A, Bw1).
Cambic horizon - zone from 6 to 35 inches, (15 to 89 cm) (Bw2, Bw3, Bw4).
Lithic contact - the zone at 35 inches, (89 cm).
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 35 inches, (25 to 89 cm).
Soil moisture control section - zone from 1 to 35 inches, (2.54 to 89 cm).
Bulk density is assumed to be 1 g/cc or less in the upper 8 inches, (20 cm).
Andic soil properties - zone from 1 to 6 inches
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples from lab pedon number: 96P0137, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.