LOCATION BEARHAT                 CA

Established Series
Rev. EWB-AMB-JBF-TM
02/2017

BEARHAT SERIES

The Bearhat series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in local alluvium derived from mixed rocks with additions of volcanic ash. Bearhat soils are on alluvial fan remnants. Slopes are 4 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy over clayey-skeletal, glassy over smectitic, frigid Vitrandic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bearhat gravelly ashy sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 2 percent stones.

A1--0 to 5 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly ashy sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

A2--5 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to medium roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--15 to 30 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly ashy sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very coarse roots and very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 5 percent faint clay bridges between sand grains; 20 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--30 to 61 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium, common very fine roots; few fine tubular and common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and 25 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 35 cm thick)

Bt3--61 to 97 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 50 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds and 50 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores; 5 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles and 55 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 41 cm thick)

Bt4--97 to 122 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds and 25 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores; 5 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles and 55 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 36 cm thick)

Bt5--122 to 152 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent faint clay bridges between sand grains; 10 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; in the Bodie Hills about 3 kilometers southeast of Mormon Meadow; Bodie USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 08 minutes 11.5 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 06 minutes 52.6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.1365278 latitude, -119.1146111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section; moist fall, winter and spring; usually dry July through early October; xeric moisture regime, bordering on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 76 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent in the upper part, and 35 to 45 percent in the lower part.
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent in the upper part, and 60 to 80 percent in the lower part, mainly gravel and cobbles. Lithology of rock fragments consists of igneous and metamorphic rocks such as andesite and schist.

A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 40 to 70 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions

Bt1 and Bt2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly ashy sandy loam or gravelly ashy sandy clay loam.
Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 40 to 70 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions

Bt3 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly clay loam, or extremely gravelly clay.
Clay content: Averages 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Bt4 and Bt5 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly clay loam, or very gravelly sandy clay loam.
Clay content: Averages 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series recognized in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bearhat soils are on alluvial fan remnants. They typically occur on summit positions. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks with additions of volcanic ash. Slopes are 4 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 2,100 to 2,400 meters. The climate is semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 460 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bodiehill and Fisherdig series.

Bodiehill soils have less than 18 percent clay in their particle-size control section. Fisherdig soils have a duripan within 50 cm of the surface.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; slow permeability; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bearhat soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, western needlegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, east of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Coleville-Bridgeport Area), California, 2010.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 61 cm (A1, A2, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 152 cm (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4 and Bt5 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 65 cm (Bt1, Bt2 and upper Bt3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.