LOCATION ARTOIS CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Artois gravelly loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
Ap--0 to 9 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive breaking to coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; many very fine roots; common very fine pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
A3--9 to 17 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist with common fine reddish brown mottles; massive breaking to coarse subangular blocky structure hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine root; many very fine pores; few thin patchy clay films in pores and old root channels; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
B1t--17 to 21 inches; light olive brown (2.5 5/3) slightly gravelly light clay, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist with a few fine reddish brown mottles; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine pores; moderately thick and nearly continuous clay films on ped faces and in pores; few fine manganese pellets; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
B2t--21 to 38 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate very coarse subangular blocky structure extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; moderately thick and continuous clay films in pores; few slickensides; few fine manganese pellets and ravel; neutral becoming mildly alkaline below; gradual smooth boundary. (11 to 24 inches thick)
B3t--38 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; clay films less common than in B2t horizon, but moderately thick and nearly continuous; mildly alkaline (pH 7.88).
TYPE LOCATION: Glenn County, California, 1 1/2 miles west of Artois in the NE 1/4 of the W 1/4 section 5, T. 20 N., R. 3 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is 48 to 60 inches to the bottom of the Bt horizon and mean annual soil temperature ranges from 64 to 67 degrees F.
The A horizon colors dry are in 2.5Y hues and have values of 5 or 6 and chromas of 2 or 3. Moist hues are 2.5Y and 20YR values are 3 or 4 and texture ranges from gravelly loams to gravelly clay loams, structure from moderate coarse subangular blocky to structureless massive. Consistence ranges from hard and friable to hard and firm; reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral. The Bt horizon colors are in 2.5 and 10YR hues with values of 5 to 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist; chromas are 2 or 3 moist or dry. Texture ranges from gravelly light clay to clay; structure from weak to moderate subangular blocky or massive; consistence from very hard to extremely hard, firm to very firm, sticky to very sticky, and plastic. Reaction is neutral to mildly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These include the Dibble and Ryer series in the same family, and the Azule, Hopeton, Marvin, Modesto, Perkins, Plaza, and Rincon series in similar subgroups. The Dibble soils ave medium acid Bt horizons and the Ryer soils have medium acid A horizon and are well drained. The Azule and Hopeton soils have grayish brown a horizons and dark grayish brown Bt horizons that are 15 inches thick. The Marvin and Modesto have dark colored A and Bt horizons and the Plaza soils have a ca horizon in the lower Bt. The Perkins soils have dark red neutral Bt horizons and the Rincon soils have medium and strongly acid A horizons and very dark grayish brown Bt horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Artois soils are on gently sloping or nearly level gravelly old alluvial fans. Elevations are 150 to 400 feet in a subhumid mesothermal climate with a mean precipitation of 15 to 20 inches, and with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual temperature is about 62 to 64 degrees F, average January temperature about 45 degrees F, and average July temperature about 63 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Artois soils are in the same general areas as the excessively drained Cortina and well drained Arbuckle soils and the Hillgate soils with dense clay subsoils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained, medium to slow runoff and slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mostly for dryland grain and pasture and for irrigated pasture and rice.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central California where it is inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Glenn County Soil Survey 1962.
REMARKS: The Artois series was formerly classified in the Noncalcic Brown group.
Last revised by the state on 8/68.