LOCATION BIEBER CA+ID NV

Established Series
Rev JVC-JBF
02/2017

BIEBER SERIES

The Bieber series consists of very shallow and shallow to a duripan, well drained or moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from volcanic rocks. Bieber soils are on stream terraces and fan remnants. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, mesic, shallow Argiduridic Durixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Bieber gravelly loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 15 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--15 to 33 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films between mineral grains; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

Bt2--33 to 46 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel concentrated at the top of the horizon; white (N 8/) dry and moist silica masses on bottoms of gravel; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and many distinct clay films lining pores; neutral (pH 7.0) abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 20 cm thick)

2Bqkm1--46 to 56 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cemented material; moderate thick platy structure; indurated by secondary silica with 1 to 2 mm thick continuous laminar caps on the upper surface and cemented bands 1 to 2 cm apart below; 40 percent rounded gravel; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in fine filaments; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

2Bqkm2--56 to 79 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cemented material; massive; indurated by secondary silica; 60 percent rounded gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated as masses on bottoms of gravel; opaline silica segregated as concretions (pendants) on bottoms of gravel; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)

2Bqkm3--79 to 152 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) cemented material; massive; indurated by secondary silica; 60 percent rounded gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in fine masses in the matrix, as filaments in the matrix, and as masses on bottom of gravel; fewer gravel are coated than in above horizon; opaline silica segregated as concretions (pendants) on bottoms of gravel.

TYPE LOCATION: Modoc County, California; about 5.5 miles southeast of Alturas; on the east side of a small gravel pit 400 feet east and 920 feet south of the center of section 27, T. 42 N., R. 13 E.; USGS Dorris Reservoir 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 26 minutes 54 seconds N and longitude 120 degrees 27 minutes 21 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 41.4483333 latitude, -120.4558333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and early spring; aridic soil moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 10 to 13 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 18 to 38 cm; includes the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to duripan: 20 to 50 cm.
Depth to bedrock: More than 150 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 45 percent. Rock fragments: Averages 10 to 25 percent, mainly gravel and up to 5 percent cobbles. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as andesite, basalt, and tuff.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Weak to moderate platy, granular, or subangular blocky.
Consistence: Slightly hard or hard, and friable.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.

Bt1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Texture: Clay loam, clay, gravelly clay loam, or gravelly clay.
Clay content: 27 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent.
Structure: Moderate or weak subangular blocky, angular blocky, or platy.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.

Bt2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 through dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4
Texture: Clay loam, clay, gravelly clay loam, or gravelly clay.
Clay content: 35 to 45 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 25 percent.
Structure: Strong or moderate prismatic or strong angular blocky.
Consistence: Moderately sticky or very sticky, wet.
Reaction: Slightly acid through moderately alkaline.

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

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bieber soils are on stream terraces and fan remnants. These soils formed in alluvium derived mainly from volcanic rocks such as andesite, basalt, and tuff. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevation ranges from 1,070 to 1,865 meters. The climate is semiarid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 230 to 410 mm, including 90 to 120 mm of snow. The mean annual temperature is 7 to 11 degrees C. The frost-free period is 50 to 120 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bidwell, Delma, Lassen, Modoc, Montague, Packwood, and Pit soils. Bidwell soils are fine-loamy and very deep. Delma soils are shallow to paralithic contacts. Lassen soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Modoc soils are moderately deep to duripans. Montague soils are moderately deep to petrocalcic horizons. Packwood soils are loamy, shallow to duripans, have ochric epipedons. Pit soils are very deep and do not have argillic horizons and duripans.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained or moderately well drained; very high surface runoff; low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Bieber soils are used mostly for range or pasture with small areas in dryland grain and irrigated pasture. The vegetation in rangeland is low sagebrush and perennial grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California, southwestern Idaho, and northern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 21, while other acreage occurs in MLRAs 23 and 26 in California and Nevada and MLRA 25 in Idaho.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil survey of the Big Valley Area, California, 1920.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 33 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Duripan - The zone from 46 to 152 cm (2Bqkm1, 2Bqkm2, and 2Bqkm3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 46 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Riverside Laboratory, Pedon No. S72-Calif 25-17; not published to date.

Previous authors and editors include: TDC-GMK-DJE.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.