LOCATION PUTT CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Andic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Putt very cobbly sandy loam--on a southeast facing ridgetop of 2 percent under incense cedar, white fir, black oak trees at 5364 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 10/28/77 the soil was dry throughout).
01--2 to O inches, fresh and decomposed needles and leaves.
A11--0 to 6 inches, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial, few fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary (2 to 8 inches thick).
A12--6 to 7 inches, dark brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial, few fine tubular pores; 20 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary (0 to 10 inches thick).
A13--7 to 20 inches, brown (10YR5/3)very cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial, few fine tubular pores; 40 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; medium acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary (0 to 15 inches tall).
C1--20 to 35 inches, pale yellow (2.5YR 7/4) very cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist; strong thick platy structure; very hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common coarse roots horizontal on the horizon surface; few very fine and fine tubular horizontal pores; 30 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; medium acid (pH 5.7); clear wavy boundary (10 to 20 inches thick).
C2--35 to 47 inches, pale yellow (2.5YR 7/4) very cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; strong thick platy structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots in fractures greater than 4 to 6 inches apart; common very fine and fine tubular, very fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films as bridges between mineral grains; 30 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.7); abrupt wavy boundary (10 to 20 inches thick).
C3--47 to 55 inches, pale yellow (2.5YR 7/4) very cobbly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive, very hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots in fractures 4 to 6 inches apart; common very fine, fine horizontal tubular pores; 30 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; very strongly acid (pH 5.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Placer County, California. 2.0 miles south of Emigrant Gap. 1.0 miles along the road from Sailor Point to Carpenter Flat, 33 feet east of road: 500 feet SE of the center of NE 1/4 of Section 7, T.16N., R.12E., M.D.B.M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a weakly cemented or compacted horizon is from 20 to 34 inches. The base saturation is generally less than 50 percent throughout the profile and ranges form about 20 to 50 percent. Thickness of the umbric epipedon ranges from 20 to 29 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is between 48o and 55o F. The soil between depths of 10 and 26 inches is usually dry in all parts from late July until late October and is moist in some or all parts all the rest of the year. Gravel, cobbles and/or stones range from l5 to 60 percent throughout the profile with the textural control section averaging more than 35 percent rock fragments. Measured clay to 15 bar water ratio is less than 1.25 for the upper 7 inches. Bulk densities range from about 0.4 to 1.0 g/cc within the upper 40 inches, are less than 0.95 within the upper 7 inches and are greater than 0.85 wininthe upper 14 inches.
The A horizon has dry color of lOYR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/1, 4/2, 4/3, 5/3; or 7.5YR 3/2 and moist color of lOYR 2/2, 3/1, 3/2, 3/3; or 7.5YR 3/2. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam and is modified by 15 to 60 percent rock fragments. It is strongly acid to neutral. Base saturation is 3 to 58 percent.
The C horizon has colors of lOYR 5/4, 6/1, 7/lYor 2.5Y 7/4 and moist color of lOYR 3/4, 4/1, 5/1, 5/4, 5/6, 5/8. Some pedons have common fine distinct mottles which are lOYR 5/8 or 7/6 dry and lOYR 5/8 or 7/8 moist. The upper part is weakly to strongly cemented or compacted and can be broken down to textures of loamy coarse sand, sandy loam or loam. It has 20 to 60 percent rock fragments. It is very strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the McCarthy and Washougal series. McCarthy soils are less than 40 inches to a paralithic contact. Washougal soils have a IIC horizon within 4O inches of the surface. Both McCarthy and Washougal soils lack a cemented or compacted layer in the lower profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Putt soils are on slopes that range from 2 to 75 percent. They formed in glacial deposits of Wisconson age derived from mixed sources mainly from the Mehrten formation. Elevations are 3,500 to 6,000 feet. The climate is subhumid mesothermal having a mean annual precipitation which varies from 50 to 70 inches, some of which occurs as snow. Average January temperature is 34o F.; average July temperature is 65 degrees, mean annual temperature is 45 degrees to 51 degrees. Frost-free season is about 100 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Zeibright, Hurlbut and the competing McCarthy soils. Zeibright soils are deeper than 40 inches to a restrictive layer or horizon. Hurlbut soils have ochric epipedons and less than 35 percent rock fragments in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; runoff is medium onthe gentle slopes and rapid on the steeper slopes; moderately rapid permeability above the cemented pan, and very slow within the pan.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for timber production. Vegetation is mixed conifers and black oak, mainly ponderosa pine, white fir and incense cedar. Shrubs are mainly greenleaf manzanita, mountain whitethorn and huckleberry oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils occur at the middle mountain areas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. The soils are not extensive. MLRA 22.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Placer County (Tahoe National Forest Area), California, 1981.
REMARKS: The Putt series was originally proposed as a loamy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Xeric Durumbrept. To correspond with Haplumbreptss Andic Xerumbrepts should read "...like Typic except for f, with or without b."
ADDITIONAL DATA: Sampled by the Lincoln Laboratory 1O/28/77, Sample No. S77-CA-061-1. The C1 and C3 si horizons may or may not be silica cemented. The lab data in inconclusive.