LOCATION CALIMUS OR+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Calimus loam, cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine platy and weak very fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
A--8 to 14 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
AB--14 to 22 inches; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--22 to 43 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; dark brown (10YR 3/3) crushed; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.9); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Bw2--43 to 48 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.1); gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
C--48 to 60 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; massive; very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine pores; neutral (pH 7.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Klamath County, Oregon; about 11 miles south and 5 miles west of Klamath Falls; 1,300 feet east and 1,000 feet south of the NW corner of section 27, T.40S., R.8E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 48 to 53 degrees F. The soil temperature is above 47 degrees F. from April 1 to October 1 and the soils are dry for 90 or more consecutive days during the same period. The solum is slightly acid or mildly alkaline in the upper part and slightly acid to moderately alkaline in the lower part. Depth to bedrock or duripan is 60 inches or more. The solum is 30 to 50 inches thick and has 0 to 10 percent rock fragments, predominantly 2 to 5mm in diameter. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 30 inches thick. Mollic colors typically extend deeper but organic matter content is less than one percent. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages 18 to 30 percent clay and 30 to 50 percent fine sand or coarser.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry, and chroma of 1 or 2 moist and dry. It is fine sandy loam, loam, clay loam or silt loam.
The Bw or Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 7.5YR, value of 2 to 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry, and chroma of 1 to 3 moist and dry. It is loam, silt loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam and has weak or moderate subangular blocky structure.
The C or C2 horizon has value of 3 or 4 moist, 4 to 6 dry and chroma of 2 to 4 moist and dry. It is loam, silt loam, sandy loam, loamy sand or loamy fine sand. It typically has less than 15 percent gravel but may contain thin strata with up to 60 percent gravel. It is calcareous in some pedons below depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alicel, Anaverde, Linville, Sinamox, Sweeney and Watama series. Alicel, Anaverde, Linville, Sweeney, and Watama soils have a xeric moisture regime. Sinamox soils have a solum 30 to 40 inches thick and a substratum which is clay loam or silty clay loam.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Calimus soils are on nearly level to steep lake terraces, terrace escarpments and alluvial fans within basins at elevations of 4,000 to 4,900 feet. Slopes range from 0 to 35 percent. The soils formed in loamy sediments weathered from diatomite and lava rocks. The climate is characterized by hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 14 inches but ranges to 16 inches in California. The mean January temperature is 27 to 29 degrees F., and the mean July temperature is 65 to 69 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 46 to 49 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 80 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Capona, Henley, Laki, Lorella, and Stukel soils. Capona soils are underlain by bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Henley soils are strongly or very strongly alkaline and have duripans at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Laki soils are moderately well drained and calcareous. Lorella and Stukel soils are underlain by bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Calimus soils are used for irrigated and dryland crops, livestock grazing and homesites. Steep slopes are used for range. Native vegetation is big sagebrush, other shrubs, and bunchgrasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lake basins in south-central Oregon and northern California; MLRA 21. The soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Modoc County (Alturas Area), California, 1974.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 22 inches (Ap, A, AB horizons).
Cambic horizon: the zone from 22 to 48 inches (Bw1, Bw2 horizons).
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data on two profiles (S67 Ore. 18-1 and 18-4) reported in Riverside Soil Survey Laboratory report for Calimus soils sampled in Klamath County, Oregon, 1967.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.