LOCATION BUTTESIDE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Butteside gravelly loam, on a west facing 25 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 265 feet, (81 m). When described on 5/10/01 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 23 percent clay; moderate coarse platy parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and irregular pores; 20 percent distinct threadlike strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) oxidized iron masses in pores; 1 percent chert gravel and 14 percent volcanic gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.6 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches, (3 to 8 cm) thick).
Bt1--2 to 8 inches, (5 to 20 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; 32 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common fine and medium irregular and few very fine tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films on ped faces; 1 percent chert gravel and 9 percent volcanic gravel; neutral, pH 6.9 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--8 to 13 inches, (20 to 33 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 38 percent clay; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine irregular and tubular and few medium irregular and tubular pores; 85 percent continuous distinct clay films on ped faces; 1 percent chert gravel and 4 percent volcanic gravel; neutral, pH 6.9 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bt3--13 to 27 inches, (33 to 69 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 50 percent clay; strong medium and coarse prismatic parting to strong fine, medium and coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium irregular and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 90 percent continuous distinct clay films on ped faces; 1 percent chert gravel, 1 percent volcanic gravel and 5 percent sandstone cobbles; neutral, pH 7.2 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 18 to 39 inches, (46 to 99 cm) thick).
2Crtq--27 inches, (69 cm); very pale brown (10YR 8/3), moderately cemented volcanic sandstone bedrock, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 1.25 miles south of Durham-Pentz Road and about 0.5 miles west of Clark Road, approximately 100 feet south and 1800 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 4, Township 20 N., Range 3 E., 39 degrees, 37 minutes, 30 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 38 minutes, 44 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S Quad: Shippee, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic bedrock is 20 to 40 inches, (51 to 102 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 60 to 68 degrees F, (16 to 20 degrees C). The particle-size control section averages 35 to 50 percent clay and 5 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. Redoximorphic features such as masses of oxidized iron, with colors of 7.5YR 5/6 occur in the A horizon. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones and 0 to 1 percent boulders.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 4/2, 6/2, 6/3, 7.5YR 5/2 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 3/2, 7.5YR 4/2 or 3/2. Texture is gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam or sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 22 to 38 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
The Bt horizon dry color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/3, 7/3, 7/4, 7.5YR 4/2, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 7.5YR 4/2 or 4/3. Texture is gravelly clay loam, cobbly clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy clay, gravelly clay, very gravelly clay or clay. Clay content ranges from 30 to 50 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Artois, Goldeagle and Yeguas soils. The Artois and Yeguas soils are very deep. The Goldeagle soils are deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Butteside soils are on ridge tops and side slopes on Cascade foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 35 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from volcanic rocks. Elevation is 140 to 760 feet, (43 to 232 m). Mean annual precipitation is 24 to 35 inches, (610 to 889 mm). The mean annual temperature is 60 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 250 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lucksev and Carhart soils. The Lucksev soils are shallow. The Carhart soils are smectitic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; high to very high runoff; moderate to moderately slow saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon and moderately slow to slow in the Bt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed and home site development. Vegetation is filaree, soft chess, ryegrass, medusahead, clover, red brome, ripgut brome, wild oat, goat grass and Mediterranean barley. Blue oaks and foothill pines occur at higher elevations.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur in the M261Fa (Tuscan Flows) subsection of the M261F (Sierra Nevada Foothills) section. MLRA 18 - Sierra Nevada Foothills (Cascade part). The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - zone from 2 to 22 in, (5 to 56 cm)
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 2 in, (0 to 5 cm) (A)
Argillic horizon - zone from 2 to 27 in, (5 to 69 cm) (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)
Paralithic contact - 27 in, (69 cm)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 6 to 19 in, (15 to 48 cm) is dry in all parts from about May to October (about 180 days).