LOCATION CALICREEK CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Xeric Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Calicreek loamy coarse sand - on a slope of less than 1 percent in a fallow field at 590 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 6/23/88 the soil was slightly moist below 10 inches).
Ap--O to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and fine and common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 8 percent gravel; mildly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
C1--7 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, fine and very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated carbonates; 9 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C2--18 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, mixed dark brown (10YR 3/3) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few coarse and medium, common fine and few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, disseminated carbonates; 1 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.(3 to 10 inches thick)
C3--23 to 26 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 8 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
C4--26 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 8 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 12 inches thick)
C5--31 to 37 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; 16 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
C6--37 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine interstitial pores; 9 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California. About 4.6 miles north of Arvin; 1/4 mile south of Mountain Rd., 1/2 mile west of Towerline Rd; about 1,200 feet south and 2,400 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 36, T.30S., R.29E., MDB&M, Edison Quadrangle. 35 degrees N latitude 16 minutes 5 seconds, 118 W longitude 47 minutes 55 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is dry throughout from about May 1 until about November 15, and it is moist about 85 days when the soil temperature exceeds 47 degrees F. The moisture regime is aridic but it borders on xeric. Mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 66 degrees F. Rock fragments, mostly gravel average 15 percent or less, but gravelly strata are present in some pedons. The particle size control section averages loamy sand to coarse sand with some finer textured strata. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline in most areas. In some areas, the surface has been acidified by the use of sulfur.
The Ap horizon is 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/2 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, or 4/3. Texture is sandy loam or loamy coarse sand. Effervescence is slight or absent. Reaction is slightly acid to moderately alkaline. Organic matter is less than 1 percent.
The C horizon is 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, 6/3, or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/3 or 5/3. The soil is stratified with texture of coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam and loam. Gravelly strata are present in some pedons. Organic matter content is less than 0.5 percent and decreases irregularly with depth.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Calicreek soils are on flood plains and low alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed mainly in granitic alluvium with some alluvium from sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Elevations are from 500 to 2,000 feet. The climate is semiarid and has hot dry summers and cool somewhat moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 7 to 9 inches. The mean January temperature is 45 degrees F., mean July temperature is 83 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is 61 to 65 degrees F. The frost-free season is 225 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hesperia and Whitewolf soils. Hesperia soils are coarse-loamy and have a regular decrease in organic carbon with depth. Whitewolf soils are sandy throughout and lack strata of texture finer than loamy sand. Hesperia and Whitewolf soils occur on higher alluvial fans and Whitewolf soils also occur in some channels.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability. The soil is subject to rare or occasional flooding.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used mainly for irrigated crops such as potatoes and carrots. The natural vegetation is mainly annual grasses and forbs. Some areas have shrubs such as rabbitbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soil is of small extent in MLRA 17. It occurs along the eastern edge of the southern San Joaquin Valley near Caliente Creek.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County, California; Northeastern Kern Area Soil Survey, 2005. Calicreek is named from Caliente Creek.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon:
Ochric epipedon -- the zone from 0 to 7 inches (Ap)
ADDITIONAL DATA: One pedon sampled by NSSL in 1993. Pedon No.S93CA-029-001.