LOCATION BOSQUEJO           CA
Established Series
IRD: BG/DWB/JJJ/SBS
10/2006

BOSQUEJO SERIES


The Bosquejo series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium weathered from volcanic rocks. Bosquejo soils are in interfan basins. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches, (559 mm) and the mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F, (17 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Typic Haploxererts

TYPICAL PEDON: Bosquejo clay on a less than one percent slope under a cover of barley at an elevation of 144 feet, (44 m). When described on 6/16/1993, the soil was slightly moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Ap--0 to 8 inches, (0 to 20 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 47 percent clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few fine black (N 2/0) moist, rounded iron-manganese concretions throughout; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches, (20 to 30 cm) thick)

Bss1--8 to 19 inches, (20 to 48 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 51 percent clay; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.

Bss2--19 to 24 inches, (48 to 61 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 54 percent clay; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides; very slightly effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bss horizon is 10 to 32 inches, (25 to 81 cm) thick).

2Bk--24 to 37 inches, (61 to 94 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/2) silty clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 43 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; violently effervescent throughout, common fine cylindrical carbonate masses; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches, (0 to 38 cm) thick)

2Bw1--37 to 44 inches, (94 to 112 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 30 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.

2Bw2--44 to 46 inches, (112 to 117 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 22 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bw horizon is 2 to 20 inches, (5 to 50 cm) thick)

2Bq--46 to 60 inches, (117 to 152 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 24 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent fine rounded slightly cemented durinodes; few fine black (N 2/0) moist, iron-manganese nodules throughout; very slightly effervescent throughout; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog.

TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 1.25 miles southeast of Nord, California, approximately 1150 feet south and 150 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 13, T. 22 N., R. 1 W.; 39 degrees, 45 minutes, 54 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 56 minutes, and 11 seconds West longitude; NAD27. U.S.G.S. Quad: Nord, California.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth is greater than 60 inches, (152cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 60 to 64 degrees F, (16 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about June 1 to October 15 (about 130 to 150 days). The particle-size control section averages 40 to 50 percent clay. Mineralogy is smectitic. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 5 percent to a depth of 24 inches, (61 cm). Surface-initiated reversible cracks .25 to 1 inch, (.6 to 2.5 cm) wide extend to a depth of about 25 inches from May 15 to October 15 (about 150 days) when the soil is not irrigated. Intersecting slickensides are present in the Bss1 and Bss2 horizons from about 6 to 30 inches, (15 to 76 cm). A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 12 to 60 inches, (30 to 152 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through May. When present, redoximorphic features such as oxidized iron masses with colors of 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 4/6 or 5/6 moist, occur in the 2Bw and 2Bq horizons and iron-manganese nodules occur throughout. Some pedons have silt loam overwash that ranges from 6 to 20 inches, (15 to 51 cm) thick.

The Ap horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/2, 5/2, 10YR 4/2 or 5/2. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2, 4/2, 10YR 3/2 or 3/3. Texture is most commonly clay but the range includes silt loam and clay loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 50 percent. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral.

The Bss horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/2, 5/2, 10YR 4/2or 5/2. Moist color is 7.5YR 4/2, 5/2, 10YR 4/2 or 5/2. Texture is clay or silty clay. Clay content ranges from 40 to 55 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to slightly alkaline.

The 2Bk horizon dry color is 7.5YR 5/2, 5/3, 10YR 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam or silty clay. Clay content ranges from 30 to 45 percent. Reaction ranges from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline.

The 2Bw1 and 2Bw2 horizons dry color is 7.5YR 5/2, 5/3, 10YR 5/2or 5/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 10YR 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is clay loam or loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 35 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

The 2Bq horizon dry color is 7.5YR 5/2, 5/3, 10YR 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 7.5YR or 10YR 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 27 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Capay, Ayar and Maxwell series. Capay soils are moderately well drained, have carbonates throughout the B horizon and formed in alluvium from sandstone and shale. Ayers soils are well drained and are underlain by bedrock. Maxwell soils have a Ca:Mg ratio of less than 2:1 and have hues of 5Y and 2.5Y.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bosquejo soils are in interfan basins. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. These soils formed in alluvium weathered from volcanic rocks. Elevation is 115 to 195 feet, (35 to 59 m). The mean annual precipitation is 21 to 25 inches, (533 to 635 mm). The mean annual temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 240 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Busacca, Conejo, Galt, and Kusalslough soils. Busacca soils are on distal fans, and lack intersecting slickensides. Conejo soils are on fans and are fine-loamy. Galt soils are in basins on terraces and are moderately deep to a duripan. Kusalslough soils are on flood plains and lack intersecting slickensides, do not crack, and formed from flood deposits deposited over basin materials.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; negligible to high runoff; slow saturated hydraulic conductivity in the Ap and Bss horizons, slow to moderately slow in the 2Bw horizon, and moderate in the 2Bq horizon. The soils are occasionally flooded for brief duration from December through March. A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 12 to 60 inches, (30 to 152 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through May. Water occasionally to frequently ponds up to 6 inches, (15 cm) above the surface for brief duration from December through March.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for grain, alfalfa, sugarbeets, sunflowers, and safflower, and less often for prune and almond orchards. Natural vegetation was annual and perennial grasses and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California. MLRA 17 - Sacramento Valley. The soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from the Bosquejo Land Grant.

REMARKS: These soils were previously mapped as Anita or Farwell in the Soil Survey of Chico Area, California 1926.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 24 inches, (0 to 61 cm). (Ap, Bss)
Cambic horizon - 24 to 60 inches, (61 to 152 cm). (2Bk, 2Bw)
Slickensides 8 to 24 inches (20 to 61cm) (Bss)
Particle-size control section- 10 to 40 inches, (25 to 102 cm)
Soil moisture control section- 7 to 19 inches, (18 to 48 cm).
A lithologic discontinuity is thought to exist where fine-textured basin alluvium was deposited over older coarser textured fan alluvium.

Altered hydrology: Dams and levees along the Sacramento River and its tributaries, drainage ditches and leveling for agriculture have altered the natural hydrology. This alteration has modified the frequency and duration of saturation, ponding and flooding.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.