LOCATION CALVISTA CA
Established Series
Rev. GAW/LCL/JJJ
04/2015
CALVISTA SERIES
The Calvista series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in material from granitic rock that has seams of calcite. Calvista soils are on mountains ridges on slopes of 2 to 30 percent slopes. The mean annual precipitation is about 6 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 65 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Calvista sandy loam - native desert vegetation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial, common very fine tubular pores; noncalcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial, common very fine tubular pores; noncalcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 5 inches thick)
Bk--7 to 16 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) heavy sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial, common very fine and fine tubular pores; spots of lime in soft masses; disseminated lime, slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
R--16 to 17 inches; hard (slightly weathered upper 1/2 inch) granitic rock that has seams of calcite. Some places in the weathered rock and fracture joints there are a few moderately thick, reddish brown clay films in pores and as bridges.
TYPE LOCATION: Los Angeles County, California; 200 feet west and 790 feet north of the SE corner of sec. 24, SE 1/4 SE 1/4, T. 7 N., R. 8 W., near San Bernardino County Line.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Hard rock occurs at a depth of 14 to 20 inches. Gravel and coarser rock fragments are present, but do not exceed 35 percent by volume in the soil mantle. The mean soil temperature is about 65 degrees F. The soils are usually dry throughout the year and are moist for less than 60 days in the winter and spring of most years. All horizons are weakly expressed; there is little difference between horizons labeled A1, AC or C. They are brown, yellowish brown, pale brown, and light yellowish brown in 10YR hue (5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4). The lower part of the profile tends to have chroma of 4. Textures are sandy loam or coarse sandy loam. Structure is weak or the soils are massive. The upper horizons are noncalcareous and mildly alkaline to moderately alkaline. All pedons are calcareous below 10 inches. The amount of lime ranges widely. Some segregations are present, but amounts of calcium carbonate are less than 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Cieneba,
Courthouse,
Gaviota,
Hi Vista,
Tidwell, and
Tollhouse series. Courthouse soils have 5YR to 10R hue. Cieneba soils are shallow but lack hard rock. Gaviota soils are continuously moist for more than 90 days in the winter and spring. Hi Vista soils have B2t horizons. Tidwell soils are calcareous in the upper part and lack secondary lime segregations in the lower part of the profile. Tollhouse soils have mollic epipedons and a mean soil temperature below 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Calvista soils are on gentle to steep slopes on low mountains, ridges, buttes, and domes in the deserts of southern California at elevations of 1,000 to 4,000 feet. The soils formed in residuum from granite and other closely related rocks. Rock outcrops may be present. The climate is arid. Precipitation is about 4 to 8 inches. There are very infrequent summer thunder showers and gentler rains of longer duration in winter. The mean temperature is about 62 to 67 degrees F, the average July temperature is about 80 to 84 degrees F, the average January temperature is about 45 to 48 degrees F. Frost-free season is 210 to 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Adelanto,
Arizo,
Cajon soils and the competing
Hi Vista soils. Adelanto, Arizo, and Cajon soils are deep alluvial soils and lack a lithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for desert range; small areas used for homesites. Native vegetation is creosotebush, Mormon tea, very small amounts of perennial grasses, and annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Desert mountains of Southern California in MLRA 30 and possibly adjacent portions of Arizona and Nevada. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Los Angeles County, California, 1971.
REMARKS: The Calvista soils were formerly classified as Lithosols. Series reclassified on September, 1994. The activity class was added to the classification in January of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
Last revised by the state on 7/72.
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.