LOCATION BELLOWING CA

Established Series
REV: GMW/SMR/CAH/LJL
02/2025

BELLOWING SERIES

The Bellowing series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in alluvium derived from granitoid. Bellowing soils are on fan aprons over fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 22 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, hyperthermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Bellowing sandy loam, on a southwest facing, linear, 5 percent slope under rangeland at an elevation of 762 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 35 percent fine gravel, 25 percent medium and coarse gravel, and 5 percent cobbles.

A -- 0 to 6 cm (0 to 2 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate very thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; 6 percent fine gravel, 6 percent medium and coarse gravel, and 1 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 8 cm, 2 to 3 inches thick)

Bkq1 -- 6 to 45 cm (2 to 18 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular pores; 20 percent faint, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 5 percent faint, light gray (10YR 7/2) silica coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 8 percent fine gravel, 7 percent medium and coarse gravel, and 2 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bkq2 -- 45 to 78 cm (18 to 31 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few coarse roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent faint, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 5 percent faint, light gray (10YR 7/2) silica coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 10 percent fine gravel and 10 percent medium and coarse gravel; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bkq horizons is 42 to 85 cm, 17 to 33 inches thick)

2Bkq -- 78 to 126 cm (31 to 50 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent distinct, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments, 1 percent fine, distinct, threadlike, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate masses, 7 percent coarse, distinct, irregular, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate masses and 18 percent very coarse, distinct, platy, very weakly cemented, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate nodules with clear boundaries in matrix; 20 percent distinct, light gray (10YR 7/2) silica coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 20 percent fine gravel and 10 percent medium and coarse gravel; strongly effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3); gradual wavy boundary. (45 to 55 cm, 18 to 22 inches thick)

2Ckq -- 126 to 170 cm (50 to 67 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent distinct, light gray (10YR 7/2) calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 50 percent distinct, light gray (10YR 7/2) silica coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 15 percent fine gravel and 23 medium and coarse gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 10 miles east and 5 miles north of Baker, or 3 miles south of the Halloran Springs exit on Interstate 15; about 1,850 feet east and 2,500 feet south of the northwest corner of section 2, T. 14 N., R. 10 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 35 degrees, 19 minutes, 42.7 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 53 minutes, 35.8 seconds west longitude; USGS Halloran Springs, California 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0600588e 3910039n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some parts for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative during July to September following summer convection storms; typic aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 22 to 25 degrees C (72 to 77 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 45 to 70 percent; with 25 to 50 percent fine gravel, 20 to 40 percent medium and coarse gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 1 percent stones.
Depth to the upper boundary of a calcic horizon: 50 to 100 cm.

Control section
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent, dominantly gravel.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.25 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist.
Clay content: 4 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel, with 0 to 3 percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bkq, Bk or C(k,q)
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry and moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand.
Clay content: 0 to 7 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 3 percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to violently effervescent.
Reaction: moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.

2Bk(q) horizons
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, or sandy loam.
Clay content: 3 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent gravel.
Effervescence: strongly or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth fraction: 5 to 15 percent.
Reaction: strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonates: 5 to 55 percent calcium carbonate nodules and masses, 10 to 75 percent calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments.

2Ckq or 2Ck horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sand or coarse sand.
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent.
Rock fragments: 25 to 45 percent gravel.
Effervescence: slightly to violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth fraction: 0 to 5 percent. Reaction: strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buzzardsprings, Oldad (T) and Superstition series. Buzzardsprings soils have a calcic horizon with an upper boundary between 10 and 36 cm. Oldad soils are formed in eolian deposits over fan remnants. Superstition soils are on dunes and have less than 5 percent rock fragments throughout. In addition, Superstition soils receive mostly summer precipitation.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bellowing soils are on fan aprons over fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from granitoid. Elevations range from 605 to 950 meters (1,985 to 3,115 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 75 to 125 mm (3 to 5 inches); mean annual air temperature is 20 to 23 degrees C (68 to 73.5 degrees F). The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Pintobasin and Sunmill soils. Pintobasin soils are found on similar landscape position and do not have a calcic horizon. Sunmill soils are found on adjacent fan remnants, have an argillic horizon, and a coarse-loamy particle size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bellowing soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is burrobush and creosote bush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California; MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California; Soil Survey of Mojave National Preserve Area, California, 2013.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 cm (A horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone from 78 to 126 cm (2Bkq horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 100 cm (part of the Bkq1, Bkq2 and part of the 2Bkq horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Site/Pedon ID: 2013CA7952074.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.