LOCATION BURNEY CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, parasesquic, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Burney gravelly loam on a north facing 2 percent slope under a cover of Ponderosa pine at an elevation of 3120 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless, otherwise stated. When described July 24, 1987, the soil was moist below 36 inches)
Oi--1 to 0 inches; pine needles in various stages of decomposition; abrupt smooth boundary.
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 8 to 14 inches)
Bt1--8 to 15 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on peds and in pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--15 to 38 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds and in pores; 30 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons is 20 to 31 inches)
Bt3--38 to 59 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) very stony clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds and in pores; 15 percent gravel; 15 percent cobbles, 20 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (Thickness is 9 to 20 inches.)
Cr--59 to 60 inches; weathered fractured vesicular basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Shasta County, California; about 4 miles northeast of Burney, 1/2 mile west of Johnson Park, 50 feet north of major electric transmission line and 1/4 mile east of railroad tracks; 1,250 feet north and 1,250 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 4, T. 35 N.,R. 3 E Burney NW (Burney Quadrangle (7.5 minute series).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from mid March to late December (275 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F. from mid May to early December. The soil moisture control section (8 to 23 inches) is dry in all parts from early July to early November (120 days) and is moist in all parts from mid December to mid May. The particle-size control section (8 to 28 inches) averages 25 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel and cobbles. Iron oxide ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 percent and the percent iron oxide to percent clay ratio ranges from 0.20 to 0.25. NaF pH is 8.5 to 9.0 and decreases with depth.
The A horizon color is 7.5YR 4/2, 4/4, or 5/4 and 5YR 5/4, 4/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2, 3/4 and 5YR 3/3. Organic matter ranges from 2 to 7 percent. Clay content ranges from 18 to 25 percent. Rock fragments, mostly gravel range from 15 to 25 percent. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 40 to 60 percent. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bt1 and Bt2 horizons color is 5YR 4/4, 4/6, or 5/6. Moist color is 5YR; 2.5YR 3/4 and 4/4. Texture is gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, cobbly clay loam, or cobbly loam. Clay content ranges from 25 to 35 percent. Rock fragments, mostly gravel or cobbles range from 15 to 35 percent. Iron oxide content ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 percent, and the iron oxide plus Gibbsite to clay ratio ranges from 0.20 to 0.25. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 35 to 75 percent. Some pedons have AB or BA horizons. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt3 horizon color is 5YR 4/4, 4/6, 5/6. Texture is very cobbly clay loam, or very stony clay loam. Clay content ranges from 27 to 40 percent. Rock fragments, mostly stones or cobbles range from 35 to 60 percent. The iron oxide content ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 percent, and the iron oxide plus Gibbsite to clay ratio ranges from 0.20 to 0.25. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Arkright (CA T) soils. Arkright soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to weathered fractured vesicular basalt.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Burney soils are on lava plateaus. Slopes are 2 to 9 percent. These soils formed in material weathered from extrusive igneous rock. Elevation is 3000 to 3300 feet. The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 16 to 25 inches. Snowfall is 48 to 60 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 28 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 67 degrees F. Frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Arkright (T) and the Jimmerson (T) soils. Jimmerson soils are greater than 60 inches deep and have a mixed mineralogy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is mainly used for timber production. Small areas are used for urban development. The vegetation is Ponderosa pine, Incense cedar, Oregon white oak, California black oak, squawcarpet, Sierra plum, greenleaf manzanita, and antelope bitterbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are moderately extensive. MLRA is 22.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shasta County, Intermountain Soil Survey Area, California 1994. Source of name is from the town of Burney.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon- the zone from 0 to 8 inches (A1,A2)
Argillic horizon- the zone from 8 to 59 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)
This name was used by the CDF, Soil Vegetation Survey in previous uncorrelated soil mapping for this soil in the area. Two pedons were sampled on similar profiles by the UCD Soil Morphology Laboratory.