LOCATION BLUEJAY CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Bluejay loam, on an east-southeast facing, linear to slightly convex, 15 percent slope under Jeffrey pine, black oak, and manzanita at an elevation of 1,615 meters (5,300 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). The surface is covered by a thin layer of leaf litter.
A1--0 to 9 centimeters, (0 to 4 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots throughout; noneffervescent; 1 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--9 to 24 centimeters, (4 to 9 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium roots throughout; 10 percent medium tubular pores; noneffervescent; 1 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 15 to 30 centimeters)
Bw1--24 to 41 centimeters, (9 to 16 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium roots throughout; 10 percent medium tubular pores; 2 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--41 to 55 centimeters, (16 to 22 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium roots throughout; 10 percent medium tubular pores; 3 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 25 to 50 centimeters)
C--55 to 152 centimeters, (22 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; 3 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.1).
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; 730 meters (2,400 feet) east and 305 meters (1,000 feet) south of the NW corner of section 18, T. 2 N., R. 3 W.; 34 degrees, 16 minutes and 30 seconds north latitude and 117 degrees, 13 minutes and 16.9 seconds west longitude; Lake Arrowhead 7.5 minute quadrangle; UTM 11S 0479623e 3792669n (DTM: NAD83).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil moisture control section: Usually dry in all parts from late May or early June until late November or early December, and usually moist in some or all parts the rest of the year. The soils have a xeric moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 11 to 13 degrees C. (52 to 56 degrees F.)
Organic matter: 1 to 4 percent
Surface rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel
Control section -
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 45 centimeters
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
Clay content: averages between 20 and 30 percent
A horizon
Value: 3 or 4, dry
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 15 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel and cobbles
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Bw horizon
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam, loam, or clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel and cobbles
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral
C horizon
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Texture of the fine earth: loam or clay loam
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel and cobbles
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crowshaw, Greenscombe, Laki, Odo and Tocaloma series. Crowshaw, Greenscombe, Laki and Odo soils have mean annual precipitation of less than 457 millimeters (18 inches). Crowshaw soils formed in alluvium and Laki soils formed in lacustrine sediments. Odo soils formed from basalt and typically contain minor amounts of ash and loess. Greenscombe and Tocaloma soils are 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) to a lithic or paralithic contact. In addition, Tocaloma soils have a frost-free season longer than 233 days and formed in sandstone and shale.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluejay soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes range from 9 to 50 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from granitic sources. Elevations range from 1,465 to 1,980 meters (4,800 to 6,500 feet). The climate is subhumid mesothermal with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters with some snow. The mean annual precipitation is 940 to 1,092 millimeters (37 to 43 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 10 to 12 degrees C. (50 to 54 degrees F.) The frost-free season is 122 to 233 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Minersville (T), Rimforest (T) and Runningsprings (T) soils on similar landscape positions. All of these soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section. In addition, Minersville soils do not have a mollic epipedon and Runningsprings soils are 40 to 60 centimeters (16 to 24 inches) to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium or high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bluejay soils are used for recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. Some areas are used for homesites. The present vegetation is mainly Jeffrey pine, Coulter pine, incense cedar, manzanita and black oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Inland mountain ranges of San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties, southern California. MLRA 20. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino National Forest, Private Land Soil Survey Update, 2004. The name is from a town in the soil survey area.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Mollic epipedon: 0 to 41 centimeters (A1, A2 and Bw1 horizons)
2. Cambic horizon: 23 to 55 centimeters (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons)
3. Particle-size control section: 25 to 77 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2, and C horizons)