LOCATION BALDMOUNTAIN            CA

Established Series
Rev. ROH/KKC/DJE
08/2021

BALDMOUNTAIN SERIES

The Baldmountain series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in material weathered from metamorphic or metasedimentary rock. Baldmountain soils are on uplands with slopes of 5 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 20 inches and the mean annual temperature is 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Ultic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Baldmountain silt loam - on a west facing slope of 30 Percent under mixed conifers at 8,000 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described July 9, 1974, the soil was dry.)

O1--0 to 1 inches; layer of dead and decomposing needles and twigs.

A--1 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky and moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very f1ne roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 11 inches thick)

Bw1--9 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium, fine, and very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 14 inches thick)

Bw2--22 to 37 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many coarse and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 17 inches thick)

C1--37 to 53 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many coarse and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 18 inches thick)

C2r--53 inches; weathered metasedimentary material with relic rock structure.

TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California; Sequoia National Forest, Cannell Meadow Ranger District. From intersection of FS roads 22S77 and 35E08, 0.4 mile south on 35E08 to a spur road, and 1.55 miles west on spur road; about 40 feet west of roadcut in SE1/4 section 3, T. 22 S., R. 34 E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact of weathered metamorphic rock ranges from 40 to 60 inches. The soil between depths of about 8 and 24 inches usually becomes moist in some part of late October or November and remains moist until mid-May or June. Mean annual temperature is 40 degrees F. Rock fragment content ranges from 5 to 35 percent gravel. It is silt loam or loam or loam with less than 18 percent clay. The soil is slightly acid to neutral.

The A horizon has dry color of 7.5YR or 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/2, 5/3 or 5/4, and moist color of 7.5YR or 10YR 3/2 or 3/3. It has weak or moderate very fine to medium subangular blocky or granular structure.

The Bw1 horizon has dry color of 7.5YR or 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/4 or 5/3, and moist color of 7.4YR or 10YR 3/2 or 3/3. The Bw2 has dry color of 7.5YR or 10YR 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4.

The C horizon has dry color of 7.5YR or 10YR 5/4 or 5/6, and moist color of 7.5YR or 10YR 4/4, 4/6, 5/4 or 5/6. It has weak medium or fine subangular blocky structure or is massive. The weathered metamorphic or metasedimentary rock grades into hard rock at an undetermined depth.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kimerque and the Roanhide series. The Kimerque soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. The Roanhide soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Baldmountain soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes are 5 to 75 percent. They formed in material weathered from Pre-Cretaceous metasedimentary and metamorphic, and Pre-Cenozoic metamorphic rocks. Elevations are 7,500 to 9,500 feet. The climate is subhumid with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. Mean annual precipitation is 15 to 30 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 35 degrees to 45 degrees F., and the frost-free season is about 75 to 150 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Toem, Cannell, and Cagwin series. These soils have orchric epipedons.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, wildlife habitat, watershed, recreation, and mining. Vegetation is Jeffery pine, white fir, mountain whitethorn, greenleaf manzanita, forbs ant grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southern mountain area of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of California. The soils of this series are not extensive (about 10,000 acres).

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sequoia National Forest Area, Tulare 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

OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 3/83.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.