LOCATION AQUARIUSMINE CA

Established Series
MJE/AJP/TKK/JW
09/2018

AQUARIUSMINE SERIES

The Aquariusmine series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from metasedimentary rock over residuum weathered from marble. The Aquariusmine soils are on shoulders, backslopes, and footslopes of hills. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 870 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 15 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Vertic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Aquariusmine loam on an east facing, convex, 23 percent slope under blue oak and annual grasses at an elevation of 572 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on May 12, 2008 the soil was dry throughout.)

A--0 to 5 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; moderate coarse granular structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout; many fine irregular and tubular pores, and few very coarse tubular pores; 8 percent subrounded indurated mixed fine gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 18 cm thick)

Bt1--5 to 30 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; common medium and few very coarse tubular pores; clay films on all faces of peds; 12 percent subrounded indurated mixed fine channers; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 50 cm thick)

Bt2--30 to 48 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; common medium and few very coarse tubular pores; clay films on all faces of peds; 10 percent subrounded indurated mixed channers; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--48 to 88 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse prismatic parts to moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine and fine dendritic tubular pores, and few medium and coarse tubular pores; clay films on all faces of peds; 8 percent subangular indurated mixed channers; 6 percent subangular indurated mixed flagstones; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the lower Bt horizons is from 25 to 100 cm)

Btss--88 to 113 cm; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay loam, dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; few very fine and fine dendritic tubular pores; slickensides on vertical faces of peds and clay films on all faces of peds; 7 percent subrounded indurated mixed gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt irregular boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

R--113 to 200 cm; Indurated marble bedrock; strong effervescence, by HCl, 1 normal.

TYPE LOCATION: Tuolumne County, California, about 1.6 km (1 mile) south of Sonora, CA, on the north side of HWY 108. USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Sonora, California. WGS84 -37.969444 latitude and -120.375282 longitude; Zone 10 730561 meters E 4205664 meters N; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 16 to 17 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a thermic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to October (about 180 days). The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 3 to 18 cm
Cambic horizon thickness: 15 to 50 cm (when present)
Argillic horizon thickness: 50 to 132 cm
Depth to Slickensides: 50 to 95 cm (5 to 75 cm thick)
Depth to lithic contact: 100 to 150 cm

Vertic features: Cracks greater than 5 mm wide open for some time during normal years through a thickness of 30 cm or more within 125 cm of the mineral soil surface.

Organic matter: 1 to 6 percent in the epipedon

Reaction: Slightly acid to neutral throughout the profile (6.1-7.3)

Base saturation: Greater than 35 percent at the lithic contact (by sum of cations)

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent, with 0 to 20 percent fine (2 to 75 mm) gravel;0 to 20 percent channers; 0 to 20 percent cobbles; 0 to 10 percent flagstones; and 0 to 10 percent stones.
Clay content: averages 18 to 35 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, or 5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 1 to 4 moist
Organic matter: 1 to 6 percent
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
0 to 10 percent gravel/channers
0 to 20 percent cobbles/flagstones
Bt1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, 3 or 4 dry or moist
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1.5 percent
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
0 to 20 percent gravel/channers
0 to 25 percent cobbles/flagstones
0 to 5 percent stones

Bt2 and Bt3 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR, or 2.5YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1.5 percent
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
0 to 20 percent gravel/channers
0 to 30 percent cobbles/flagstones
0 to 15 percent stones

Btss horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR, or 2.5YR
Value: 3 or 4, 3 or 4 dry or moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, 3 to 6 dry or moist
Organic matter: 0.25 to 0.75 percent
Texture: clay loam or clay
Clay content: 27 to 60 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 45 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 35 percent stones

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Aquariusmine soils are on shoulders, backslopes, and footslopes in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium derived from metasedimentary rock over residuum weathered from marble. Elevation is 400 to 750 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 800 to 1000 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 15 to 16 degrees C. The frost free season is 220 to 265 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beybek, Mercercave, Tiger Creek, Millvilla, Wardsferry, Priestgrade, Moccasinhill, and Sanguinetti soils. Beybek is found on upper portions of the hillslope and are moderately deep to a lithic contact. Mercercave and Tiger Creek are mesic soils, occupying cooler aspects and higher elevations. Mercercave is clayey-skeletal. Tiger Creek has redder hues throughout the argillic (2.5YR-10R). Millvilla, Wardsferry, Priestgrade, Moccasinhill, and Sanguinetti develop from schist, phyllite and other metasedimentary rocks other than marble. Millvilla (moderately deep) and Wardsferry (deep) have a paralithic contact. Priestgrade, Moccasinhill, and Sanguinetti are loamy-skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well Drained; moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity in the epipedon, and moderately low to moderately high in the control section. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is low to very high.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, wildlife habitat, and housing. Vegetation consists of hardwoods, mainly blue oak, with an understory of annual grasses and forbs. Understory species include brome, clover, wild oat, vetch, thistle, geranium, and bedstraw.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Foothills of California, MLRA 18. The series is not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Tuolumne County, California, 2010. Source of the name is Aquarius Mine, located in Tuolumne County.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 5 cm (A horizon)
Cambic Horizon 5 to 30 (Bt1 horizon)
Argillic Horizon 30 to 113 (Bt2, Bt3, and Btss horizon)
Slickensides 88 to 113 (Btss horizon)
Lithic Contact 113 to 200 (R horizon
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 30 to 80 cm (Bt2 and upper portion of Bt3).

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 08AMS014
No certified laboratory data exists for this series.

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.