LOCATION BUNKERHILL              CA

Established Series
Rev. JCW/TDC/ET
04/2015

BUNKERHILL SERIES

The Bunkerhill series consists of somewhat poorly drained soils formed in mixed lacustrine materials. Bunkerhill soils occupy basin rim positions and have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. Average annual precipitation is about 4 inches and mean annual temperature is about 70 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Aquisalids

TYPICAL PEDON: Bunkerhill loamy fine sand - on a nearly level basin rim under picklewood at 1129 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described in August 1976 the soil was moist below 20 inches). Surface has a 1cm brittle saline crust.

Az1--0 to 4 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loamy fine sand with stratification and lenses of very fine sand and silt, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; few broken pieces of very hard, indurated, silica cemented lenses; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many fine vesicular and interstitial pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)

Az2--4 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy fine sand with thin lenses of silt and very fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; few broken pieces of indurated silica cemented lenses; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 6 inches thick)

Bz--9 to 15 inches; light brownish bray (10YR 6/2) loam with fine lenses of very fine sand and silt, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; few broken pieces of indurated silica cemented lenses; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 9 inches thick)

Bq--15 to 17 inches; very hard and hard, brittle, discontinuous laminar layers (5cc-1cm thick) of silica cemented sand grains with silt and very fine sand lenses between the cemented layers. The laminar layers will not slake when soaked in HC1. (1 to 2 inches thick)

C1--17 to 28 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam with thin lenses of silt and very fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and coarse roots; few very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

2Akb--28 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam with thin lenses of very fine sand and silt, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent with lime as few, fine, soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)

2C--30 to 50 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam with lenses of silt and very fine sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few fine and medium, distinct (7.5YR 5/4) mottles; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Inyo County, California; about 3 miles southwest of lower warm springs, 50 yards east of the lake road; S 1/2 of NE 1/4 sec. 35, T. 13 S., R. 38 E., MDB&M.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth of 0.5cm to 1cm laminar layers of silica cemented sand grains granges from 10 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is warmer than 72 degrees F. The electrical conductivity of the A horizon and upper B horizon ranges from 23 to 225 mmhos/cm but ranges from 100 to 225 in some part. The soil is strongly alkaline above the silica accumulations and moderately alkaline below. The upper 15 inches of the soil is moist for more than 90 consecutive days following the winter solstice and is moist continually below the Bq horizon because of capillary action from the watertable less than 10 feet below. The soils are saturated above a depth of 40 inches for 30 to 60 days in most year. Water is ponded during winter storms. The particle-size control section ranges from 5 to 18 percent clay.

The A and B horizons has a dry color of 6/2 or 5/2 and moist color of 4/2 or 3/2. Horizons with colors of 5/2 dry and 3/2 moist are not thick enough to qualify as a mollic epipedon. It is stratified very fine sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, silt and silt loam.

The Bq horizon consists of laminar layers of silica cemented sand grains, with lenses of very fine sand and silt between the layers.

The 2C horizon consists of 10YR 6/2 or 6/3 compacted stratified loam, silt loam, and very fine sand. Some pedons have few fine to medium distinct 7.5YR 5/4 or 5/6 mottles.

Some pedons lack buried soils below the 2C horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Saucel series. Saucel soils lack accumulations of silica.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bunkerhill soils occupy basin rims. The soils formed in mixed lacustrine materials. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations are 1,010 to 1,250 feet. The climate is aridic with hot dry summers with infrequent thunder showers of short duration and cool slightly moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 4 ot 5 inches. Mean January temperature is about 70 degrees F. Frost-free season is longer than 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Yellowrock soils. Yellowrock soils are sandy, lack a salic horizon, and have thermic soil temperatures.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very low runoff; moderately slow permeability. The water table fluctuates between depths of 3 to 20 feet.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for wildlife land and recreation land. Native vegetation is mainly pickleweed (Allenrolfea oxidentalis).

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are mapped in closed basins in Saline Valley and are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Inyo County, California, Saline Valley Area, 1980.

REMARKS: Because of the cemented horizons within 40cm of the surface this soil could be classified as a Duric subgroup if the criteria permitted.

Series reclassified 5/95 from a Typic Salorthid.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/1998. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.