LOCATION BLUELIZARD CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Humic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Bluelizard gravelly sandy loam, on a northwest facing, convex-convex, 9 percent slope under coulter pines and live oak at an elevation of 1,498 meters (4,900 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 15 percent gravel.
Oi--0 to 3 centimeters, (0 to 1 inch); slightly decomposed organic material; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--3 to 13 centimeters, (1 to 5 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout; common fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 25 centimeters thick)
Bw--13 to 130 centimeters, (5 to 51 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots, few fine roots, common medium and coarse roots throughout; common fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual wavy boundary. (50 to 130 centimeters thick)
BC--130 to 155 centimeters, (51 to 61 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 35 centimeters thick)
C--155 to 170 centimeters, (61 to 67 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; 15 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; 350 meters (1,150 feet) south and 274 meters (900 feet) west of the NE corner of section 7, T. 4 S., R. 2 E.; 33 degrees, 50 minutes and 18.5 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 48 minutes and 31.8 seconds west longitude; Lake Fulmor 7.5 minute quadrangle; UTM 11S 0517687e 3744263n (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.
Mollic or umbric epipedon: If a mollic epipedon is present, base saturation is less than 50 percent in some part below the base of the mollic epipedon and above a depth of 180 centimeters.
Soil temperature: 8 to 14 degrees C. (47 to 57 degrees F.)
Organic matter: 1 to 3 percent
Surface rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Control section:
Rock fragments: 15 to 25 percent
Clay content: ranges between 5 and 10 percent
A horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 moist
Texture of the fine earth: loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 6 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately to strongly acid
Bw horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or
loamy sand
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 25 percent gravel
Reaction: slightly to moderately acid
C horizon
Hue: 2.5Y or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 1 to 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist
Texture of the fine earth: fine sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 6 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 20 percent gravel
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bighill,
Pilliken,
Shaver, and
Skamania series. The Bighill soils have a mean annual precipitation of about 1,397 millimeters (55 inches), and are less than 102 centimeters (40 inches) to a paralithic contact. The Pilliken soils have a mean annual precipitation of about 1,350 millimeters (53 inches). The Shaver soils have a paralithic contact at 100 to 200 centimeters (40 to 80 inches), and a mean annual precipitation of about 1,020 millimeters (40 inches). Skamania soils formed from basalt, andesite and some volcanic ash, with a mean annual precipitation of about 1,780 millimeters (70 inches).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bluelizard soils are on mountain slopes. Slopes range from 4 to 50 percent. These soils formed in alluvium and/or colluvium over residuum from granitic sources. Elevations range from 1,400 to 1,650 meters (4,500 to 5,400 feet). The climate is subhumid mesothermal with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters with some snow. The mean annual precipitation is 483 to 737 millimeters (19 to 29 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 7 to 13 degrees C. (45 to 55 degrees F.). The frost-free season is 35 to 178 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Bigrock (T) soil. This soil is located on adjacent or steeper (50 to 80 percent) slopes, and has an ochric epipedon. This soil has a sandy particle-size control section, and has paralithic contact within 80 centimeters.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; very low to medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Bluelizard soils are used for recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. Some areas are used for homesites. The present vegetation consists of pines (coulter, ponderosa, Jeffrey), live oak, deerbrush, incense cedar, hoary coffeeberry, black oak, wild rose, and elderberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Inland mountain ranges of southern California. MLRA 20. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES PROPOSED: Riverside County, California, Emergency Watershed Program, Private Land Soil Survey, 2005. The name is from the abundance of turquoise and blue lizards observed on the nearby Ranger Peak landform.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Umbric epipedon: 3 to 130 centimeters (A and Bw horizons)
2. Cambic horizon: 13 to 130 centimeters (Bw horizon)
3. Particle-size control section: 25 to 100 centimeters (Bw
horizon)
4. Low base saturation (less than 60 percent) based on pH readings and measurements on associated soils.