LOCATION BALMAN CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Balman loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Apk1--0 to 2.5 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and common fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
Apk2--2.5 to 10 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; many very fine, few fine and medium tubular and common fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick))
ACk--10 to 17 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist moderate thin platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, common fine, few medium roots; many very fine and fine, few medium tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Ck1--17 to 22 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; common very fine, few fine and medium tubular pores; few very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Ck2--22 to 30 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and medium tubular, common very fine, few fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Ck3--30 to 42 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine, common fine and medium tubular and common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime in filaments and threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Ck4--42 to 53 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine, fine and few medium tubular, common very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
Ck5--53 to 67 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine, fine, and medium tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
2C--67 to 71 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) gravelly coarse sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; loose, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; few fine and medium tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
3Cg--71 to 80 inches; light gray (5Y 7/1) clay, olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; common large prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; common very fine and fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Plumas County, California; approximately 3 miles northwest of town of Loyalton; mound position in the central part of valley; 1/4 mile east of W 1/4 corner section 35, T. 22 N., R. 15 E. 39 degrees North, 43 minutes, 00 seconds and 120 degrees West, 16 minutes, 25 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: This soil is moistened from capillary rise from a fluctuating water table as well as by precipitation. It remains moist in some part between depths of 4 and 12 inches from mid-November until the middle of July. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 48 to 50 degrees F. Soil temperatures at a depth of 20 inches exceed 41 degrees F from March 15 to November 15 and 47 degrees F from April 1 to November 1.
The 10 to 40 inches control section is dominantly loam and averages 18 to 28 percent clay. Some strata of sandy loam or fine sandy loam are present in some pedons. Exchangeable sodium is 2 to 25 percent in the upper 15 inches of the soil profile and averages less than 1 percent in the horizons below a depth of 15 inches. Calcium carbonate is about 15 and 25 percent, and averages 1 to 5 percent below a depth of 25 inches. The upper boundary of the calcic horizon is within 10 inches of the surface. Abrupt stratification is lacking. Lime is generally disseminated but some pedons have filaments and threads of lime in the mid-part of the profile. The A and upper C horizons are moderately or strongly alkaline.
The A horizon is light gray and very pale brown to brown (10YR 7/3, 7/2, 7/1, 6/3, 6/2, 6/1, 5/2, 5/1; 2.5Y 7/2, 6/2, 5/2) dry and moist colors are brown, grayish brown, and dark grayish brown in 10YR or 2.5Y hue. It has weak or moderate medium to thin platy structure, commonly with vesicular pores.
The C horizon has colors similar to the A horizon and in addition light olive gray, pale yellow or pale olive (6.3) in 5Y hue. The upper part of the C horizon ranges from clay loam to sandy loam. Below depth of 40 inches the C horizons are stratified and range from sand to clay. The lower part of the C horizon is moderately alkaline to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Decker and Gooch series. Decker soils have mottles within 30 inches of the surface and the upper boundary of the Cca horizon or of the calcic horizon is below a depth of 16 inches. (See Remarks). Gooch soils have 40 to 75 percent calcium carbonate in the calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Balman soils are nearly level to gently sloping. They formed in alluvium from basic igneous rocks on low lake terraces and alluvial fans at elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The climate is cool and semiarid. The average annual precipitation is 10 to 20 inches including 24 to 48 inches of snowfall and summers are dry except for occasional thunderstorms. The mean January temperature is 28 to 30 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 63 to 66 degrees F, and mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. The average frost-free season is 30 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alturas, Bieber, Buntingville, Loyalton, Modoc and Ramelli soils. Alturas, Bieber, Buntingville, Modoc and Ramelli soils have mollic epipedons. Bieber and Modoc soils have duripans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained and poorly drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. A water table fluctuates between depths of 2 and 6 feet.
USE AND VEGETATION: Improved and native pasture, hay and grain, alfalfa, and wheatgrass. Natural vegetation is silver sagebrush saltgrass, rabbitbrush, grasses, sedges, forbs, alkali meadow grass and some greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys of northeastern California. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED; Plumas County, California 1973.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly classified as Calcium Carbonate Solonchak soils. Balman and Decker soils have a large number of small differences and the significance of these differences needs more study.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon, S61CA-063-12 (type location) and S61Ca-091-004 (range in characteristics) in Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 24.
Last revised by the state on 5/74.
Series reclassified on September, 1994. Competing series not reviewed at that time.