LOCATION BEATSONHOLLOW CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Haplohumults
TYPICAL PEDON: Beatsonhollow gravelly loam on a north facing 3 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 1,325 feet, (404 m). When described on October 18, 2000 the soil was moist from 0 to 10 inches, (0 to 25 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 3 inches, (0 to 8 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 18 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent fine distinct irregular yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist, oxidized iron masses in matrix; 5 percent basalt cobbles and 15 percent basalt gravel; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 10 inches, (8 to 25 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 22 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots throughout; common fine irregular pores; 10 percent basalt gravel and 20 percent basalt cobbles; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 2 to 10 inches, (5 to 25 cm) thick)
Bt--10 to 17 inches, (25 to 43 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 26 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots and few medium roots throughout; common fine tubular and few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent discontinuous faint clay films on surfaces along pores; 15 percent basalt gravel and 35 percent basalt cobbles; very strongly acid, pH 5.0 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 14 inches, (13 to 36 cm) thick)
R--17 inches, (43 cm); indurated basalt bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 5.5 miles north of Oroville, California, approximately 1000 feet west and 1000 feet south of the northeast corner of Section 17, T.20 N., R.4 E., 39 degrees, 35 minutes, 42.22 seconds North Latitude; 121 degrees, 32 minutes, 34.3 seconds West Longitude. NAD83 - USGS Quad: Oroville, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic bedrock is 10 to 20 inches, (25 to 51 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 61 to 64 degrees F, (16 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to about November (about 150 to 200 days). The particle-size control section averages 22 to 29 percent clay and 35 to 65 percent rock fragments, mostly cobbles. Mineralogy is mixed. Base saturation by sum of the cations ranges from 4 to 7 percent. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and the surface of the soil from November through April. Rock fragments on the surface range from 10 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4 or 5/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 2/2, 3/2, 3/3, 10YR 2/2, 3/2 or 3/3. Texture is loam, gravelly loam, very gravelly loam or cobbly loam. Clay content ranges from 14 to 22 percent. Organic matter ranges from 4 to 8 percent. Rock fragments range from 10 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon dry colors are 7.5YR 4/3, 4/4, 10YR 4/3 or 4/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 10YR 3/2, 3/3 or 3/4. Texture is gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, extremely cobbly loam, cobbly loam, very cobbly loam, very cobbly clay loam or extremely cobbly clay loam. Clay content ranges form 20 to 29 percent. Organic matter ranges from 1.5 to 8 percent. Rock fragments range from 10 to 30 percent gravel and 5 to 45 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Thermalrocks series. Thermalrocks soils lack a water table and are on convex positions.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Beatsonhollow soils are in swales on tops of basalt plateaus in volcanic Sierra Nevada foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 5 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from basalt. Elevation is 380 to 1,440 feet, (116 to 439 m). Mean annual precipitation is 27 to 35 inches, (686 to 889 mm). The mean annual temperature is 59 to 61 degrees F, (15 to 16 degrees C). Frost-free season is 250 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Campbellhills, Cherotable, Elsey and Thermalrocks soils. Campbellhills soils are in joint fractures basalt plateaus, are loamy-skeletal and deep to bedrock. Cherotable soils are on undulating flat to concave positions on basalt plateaus, are fine-loamy and deep to bedrock. Elsey soils are on mounds on basalt plateaus, are fine-loamy and moderately deep to bedrock. Thermalrocks soils are on convex positions on basalt plateaus, are loamy-skeletal and are very shallow to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very high runoff; frequently ponded for brief durations from December through March and occasionally ponded for very brief durations in November and April; moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon and moderate to moderately slow in the Bt horizon. Surface water flows through interconnected swales during periods of intense rainfall events. Ponding occurs at depths of up to 5 inches, (13 cm) above the surface from November through April. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and the surface of the soil from November through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, recreation and wildlife. Vegetation is soft chess, medusahead, filaree, rattlesnake brome, brodiaea, lupine and vinegarweed.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occurs in (M261Fb) Lower Foothills Metamorphic Belt and as inclusions in (262Ag) Hardpan Terraces subsection of the (M261F) Sierra Nevada Foothills section. MLRA 18 - Sierra Nevada Foothills. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from a canyon named Beatsonhollow.
REMARKS: These soils were previously mapped as scablands in the Soil Survey of Oroville Area, Soil Survey of Chico Area, California 1926.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 17 inches, (25 to 43 cm). (Bt).
Umbric epipedon - zone from 0 to 17 inches, (0 to 43 cm). (A1, A2, Bt)
Argillic horizon - zone from 10 to 17 inches, (25 to 43 cm). (Bt)
Lithic contact - 17 inches, (43 cm). (R)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 8 to 17 inches, (20 to 43 cm). (A2,and Bt1).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Used data from nearby sample #67-CA-04-014X, University of California, Davis. Piezometer data collected from 12/2001 - 5/2002.