LOCATION ARCHERDALE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Archerdale clay loam - on a nearly level slope of less than 1 percent under a walnut orchard at 80 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on April 22, 1980, the soil was moist throughout).
Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and medium few coarse roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.7) clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
A--8 to 15 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few pressure faces; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
AB--15 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few pressure faces; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bw1--24 to 35 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, variegated dark brown (10YR 3/3) and brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few pressure faces; neutral (pH 7.0); diffuse smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick).
Bw2--35 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, variegated brown (7.5YR 4/4) and brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; neutral (pH 6.7).
TYPE LOCATION: San Joaquin County, California; approximately 1 mile northwest of Linden, 800 feet east of Archerdale Road and 800 feet south of Baker Road; 800 feet south and 1,850 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 16, R. 8 E., T. 2 N., Linden quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 20 to 35 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature is 62 or 63 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from June to October unless irrigated, and moist in all parts from December thru April. The particle-size control section has 35 to 45 percent clay. Segregated or secondary lime occurs at depths greater than 50 inches in some pedons. In some areas adjacent to streams or sloughs there is an overwash of very fine sandy loam 12 up to 20 inches thick. The overwash is slightly acid or neutral.
The A horizon has color of 10YR 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 4/2, 4/3; or 7.5YR 5/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/1, 3/2, 3/3; or 7.5YR 3/2. This horizon has 1.5 to 4.0 percent organic matter. It is clay loam or clay.
The Bw horizon has color of 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4; or 7.5YR 5/4, 6/4 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4; or 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4. It is clay loam, silty clay loam or clay.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Finrod and Busacca series. Finrod soils have a combined A and Bw thickness and depth to duripan of 40 to 60 inches. Busacca soils are moderately well drained on distal fans.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Archerdale soils are on low fan terraces and alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Elevations are 40 to 150 feet. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Dense ground fog commonly occurs in the winter months. Mean annual precipitation is 14 to 16 inches. The mean January temperature is 45 degrees F; mean July temperature is 77 degrees F; and mean annual temperature is 60 degrees F. Frost-free period is 260 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Vignolo, Cogna and the Hollenbeck (T) soils. Hollenbeck soils have intersecting slickensides, montmorillonitic mineralogy, wide cracks and greater than 30 percent clay to a depth of 36 inches. Vignolo soils are fine-silty.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for irrigated cropland to grow almonds, walnuts, cherries, field and row crops such as bell peppers, beans, sugar beets, tomatoes, alfalfa and small grains. Vegetation is wild oats, soft chess, ripgut brome, filaree and other annual grasses, forbs and scattered California White Oaks.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Low terraces in the northeastern San Joaquin Valley. These soils are of moderate extent in MLRA-17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Joaquin County, California, 1990.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in January of 2003.
Organic matter determined with Lamotte kit.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 24 inches (Ap,A,AB)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 24 to 60 inches (Bw1, Bw2)