LOCATION AVENAL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Avenal loam, on a slope of 2 percent under annual grasses, mostly red brome and filaree at 850 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on February 19, 1975, the soil was moist throughout.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure, parting to moderate thin platy; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A2--2 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 15 inches thick)
Bt--8 to 24 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 18 inches thick)
BCt--24 to 36 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on peds; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Ck--36 to 61 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky, and plastic; many very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent, lime disseminated and in common fine seams, and few medium firm masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, California; about 1 1/4 mile NW of Highway 41 and 25 feet west of Navy pipeline on the east side of Sunflower Valley; 400 feet west and 330 feet north of the center of sec. 2, T. 24 S., R. 17 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils between depths of 4 and 12 inches is dry in all parts from mid-April to mid-January. Mean annual soil temperature is 62 degrees to 71 degrees F. Soil temperatures are warmer than 47 degrees F at all times. The soil is not continuously moist in some part for 90 consecutive days. The reaction is neutral at the surface, becoming slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline with increasing depth. The soils are noneffervescent in the A horizon and increases in effervescence with increasing depth. Conductivity is less than 2 mmhos and the SAR is 1 or less. Total sand in the profile ranges from 25 to 35 percent and slit from 35 to 45 percent. Some pedons have only a very small amount of mica.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 6/3; 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2 or 6/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 4/2; 2.5Y 3/2 or 4/2. It is heavy loam or silt loam.
The B2t horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 6/3; 2.5Y 5/2, 5/4 or 6/2 and moist color of 10YR 4/3; or 2.5Y 4/2. It is clay loam or silty clay loam and has 1.2 to 1.3 times as much clay as in the A horizon. Clay is 27 to 35 percent. Thin to moderately thick clay films are present on faces of peds.
The C horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/4, 7/4; 2.5Y 5/2 or 4/4 and moist color of 2.5Y 4/2, 4/4 or 5/4. It is loam, silt loam, or clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anway, Berino, Bryman, Bucklebar, Cornville, Dona Ana, Garlock, Hap, Hi Vista, Madurez, Milham, Mirage, Mohave, Neuralia, Palomas, Tijeras, and Tres Hermanos series. Anway, Bryman, Bucklebar, Palomas and Tijeras soils have hue redder than 10YR. Anway, Berino, Bucklebar, Cornville, Dona Ana, Hap, Madurez, Palomas, Tijeras, and Tres Hermanos soils are moist in the moisture control section for 30 to 40 days in the summer. Berino, Cornville, Dona Ana, Hap, Madurez and Mohave soils have a calcic horizon within a depth of 40 inches. Garlock soils are noneffervescent in the upper 40 inches. Hi Vista soils have a lithic contact within a depth of 40 inches. Milham soils have 35 to 60 percent total sand, 10 to 35 percent total silt, are effervescent throughout, and have a large amount of mica. Mirage soils have conductivity of 20 to 70 mmho and SAR of 13 to 40. Neuralia soils have 35 to 45 degress F. difference between mean summer and winter soil temperature. Tres Hermanos soils have a gravelly Bt horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Avenal soils are on alluvial fans and have 0 to 5 percent slopes. Elevations range from 500 to 900 feet. These soils formed in mixed calcareous alluvium, weathered mostly from sedimentary rocks. The soils are arid with hot, dry summers and somewhat cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 6 inches. The mean January temperature is 47 degrees F, mean July temperature is 82 degrees F.; and mean annual temperature is 64 degrees F. The frost free season is 240 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Milham soils and the Panoche, Kettleman and Wasco soils. Panoche soils lack a B horizon. Wasco soils are coarse, loamy and lack a Bt horizon. Kettleman soils lack a B horizon and have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used mostly for range. Native vegetation is mainly red brome, fiddleneck and foxtail fescue; there are lesser amounts of filaree, snakeweed and wild oats.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Dry inland areas along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, California 1980.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in January of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET