LOCATION BOTTLEHILL CA

Established Series
AEC/DWB/AGB/TKK/JTW
01/2020

BOTTLEHILL SERIES

The Bottlehill series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from metavolcanic and/or metasedimentary rocks. Bottlehill soils are on ridge tops and side slopes on metamorphic mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 110 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1905 mm (75 in) and the mean annual temperature is about 9 degrees C (49 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Xeric Haplohumults

TYPICAL PEDON: Bottlehill very gravelly loam, on a south-facing 7 percent slope under a cover of mixed conifers, greenleaf manzanita and prostrate ceanothus at an elevation of 1579 m. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 23rd, 1997 the soil was dry throughout.)

Oi--0 to 1 cm (0 to 0.5 in); needle and leaf litter.

Oe--1 to 4 cm (0.5 to 1.5 in), partially decomposed needle and leaf litter.

A1--4 to 11 (1.5 to 4.5 in)cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 18 percent clay; moderate fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 35 percent subangular gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 9.6; clear smooth boundary.

A2--11 to 22 cm (4.5 to 8.5 in); brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 18 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 45 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.4 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 10.2; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 5 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--22 to 32 cm (8.5 to 12.5 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; 21 percent clay;weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, common medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; many distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 40 percent subangular gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.2 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 9.9; abrupt wavy boundary.

Bt2--32 to 55 cm (12.5 to 21.5 in); very pale brown (10YR 8/4) very gravelly loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; many distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 50 percent subangular gravel and 10 percent subangular metamorphic cobbles; very strongly acid, pH 4.8 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 9.6; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--55 to 85 cm (21.5 to 33.5 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; 31 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; common distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 55 percent subangular gravel and 20 percent subangular cobbles; very strongly acid, pH 4.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; NaF pH 9.6; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 12 to 38 inches, (30 to 96 cm) thick)

R--85 cm (33.5 in); very strongly cemented metavolcanic rock, vertical beds3 to 5 cm (1-2 in) thick.

TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 3.3 km (2.1 miles) north of Inskip, approximately 560 meters (1850 feet) north and 410 meters (1350 feet) east of the SW corner of Section 16, T25 N., R 4 E. USGS Topographic Quadrangle: Butte Meadows, California. WGS84 decimal degrees 40.021667 latitude -121.535972 longitude. UTM Zone 10 624932 meters E 4431189 meters N, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 8 to 15 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a mesic soil temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about June to October (about 120 days). The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 7 to 30 cm
Argillic horizon thickness: 35 to 70 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm

Particle-size control section weighted averages:
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent, mostly gravel

Surface fragments: 35 to 75 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones and 0 to 5 percent boulders.

Some pedons have tephra influenced A horizons.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent total
15 to 60 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Organic matter: 10 to 20 percent
Base saturation by sum of cations: 20 to 40 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

Upper Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent total
15 to 70 percent gravel
0 to 70 percent channers
0 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
Organic matter: 1.5 to 10 percent
Base saturation (by sum of cations): 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

Lower Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR
Value 6 to 8 dry, 5 or 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 4 to 8 moist
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam,
Clay content: 18 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 80 percent
15 to 75 percent gravel
0 to 80 percent channers
0 to 30 percent cobbles
0 to 30 percent stones
Organic matter: 0.5 to 3 percent
Base saturation by sum of cations: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to slightly acid

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

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bottlehill soils are on shoulders, summits and backslopes of ridges and mountain slopes. on Sierra Nevada mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 110 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Elevation is 579 to 1700 m (1900 to 5580 ft). Mean annual precipitation is 1000 to 1930 mm (39 to 76 in). The mean annual air temperature is 9 to 15 degrees C (48 to 59 degrees F). Frost free season is 100 to 215 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fiddletown, Jocal, Logtrain, Mariposa, and Walkermine soils. Fiddletown soils have a paralithic contact between 100 and 150 cm. Jocal and Mariposa soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Logtrain soils have a lithic contact between 100 and 150 cm and Walkermine soils have a lithic contact between 50 and 100cm. Fiddletown, Mariposa, Logtrain, and Walkermine soils occur on similar landform positions. Jocal soils are found on backslope positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A and upper Bt horizons and moderately high to moderately low in the lower Bt horizon.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, wildlife habitat and watershed. Vegetation is ponderosa pine, sugar pine, white fir, incense cedar, California black oak, greenleaf manzanita, prostrate ceanothus, Sierra chinquapin, pinemat manzanita, whiteveined winterleaf, interspersed with bare areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California (MLRA 22A). The series is not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California; 2005. Source of name from Bottle Hill on the Butte Meadows 7.5 minute quadrangle.

REMARKS:
Particle-size control section for this pedon: 22 to 72 cm (9 to 28 in)

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: the zone from 4 to 22 cm (1.5 to 8.5 in) (A1, A2)
Argillic horizon: the 22 to 85 cm (8.5 to 33.5 in). (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)
Lithic contact: 85 cm (33.5 in)

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for type location:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 96CA612028
Pedon Type: OSD pedon
Pedon Purpose: soil survey inventory

Laboratory data collected at the OSD type location site: NASIS User Site ID: S1996CA007002
NASIS User Pedon ID: 96CA007002
Pedon Type: correlates to named soil
Pedon Purpose: laboratory sampling location
Lab Source ID: SSL
Lab Pedon #: 97P0307

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.