LOCATION CANISROCKS CA

Established Series
Rev. BRY/KDA/KP/JBB
09/2021

CANISROCKS SERIES

The Canisrocks series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in colluvium from granitic rocks. These soils are on mountain slopes, mountainsides, moraines, cirques, in avalanche chutes, in small mountain valleys, on small mountain benches, and on colluvial aprons. Slope is 9 to 80 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1,448 millimeters and the mean annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic Typic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Canisrocks bouldery loamy sand, on a north facing (0 degree), 25 percent slope under red fir forest at an elevation of 2,541 meters. When described on August 23, 1996 the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Oi--0 to 1 cm; bouldery slightly decomposed plant material 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite cobbles, 5 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite stones, and 5 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite boulders. (0 to 4 cm thick)

Oe--1 to 2 cm; bouldery moderately decomposed plant material; 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite cobbles, 5 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite stones, and 5 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite boulders. (0 to 6 cm thick)

A--2 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) bouldery loamy coarse sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; single grain and weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; 4 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite gravel and 20 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite boulders; NaF pH 8.3; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick) NSSL Lab sample # 97P00872*

Bw1--10 to 45 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) very bouldery loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain and weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common fine and medium, few coarse and very coarse, and many very fine roots; 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite gravel, 10 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite cobbles, 5 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite stones, and 20 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite boulders; NaF pH 10.5; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (21 to 71 cm thick) NSSL Lab sample # 97P00873*

Bw2--45 to 71 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very bouldery coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; many very fine, common medium, and few fine, coarse, and very coarse roots; 7 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite gravel, 20 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite cobbles, 10 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite stones, and 20 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite boulders; NaF pH 10.7; strongly acid (pH 5.1); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 38 cm thick) NSSL Lab sample # 97P00874*

BC--71 to 87 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very bouldery coarse sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; single grain and weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common very fine and few fine, medium and coarse roots; 7 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite gravel, 20 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite cobbles, and 20 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite boulders; NaF pH 10.6; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear smooth boundary. (16 to 51 cm thick) NSSL Lab sample # 97P00875*

C--87 to 152 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) extremely bouldery coarse sand, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; single grain and weak very fine granular structure; loose, non-sticky non-plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium and roots; 12 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite gravel, 15 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite cobbles, 15 percent subangular very strongly cemented granodiorite stones, and 20 percent subrounded very strongly cemented granodiorite boulders; NaF pH 10.5; strongly acid (pH 5.2). NSSL Lab sample # 97P00876*

TYPE LOCATION: Tuolumne County, California; Middle Tuolumne River Drainage, approximately 700 feet (213.4 meters) southwest of Lukens Lake in Yosemite National Park; approximately 925 feet (281.9 meters) east and 3,700 feet (1,127.8 meters)north of the southwest corner of section 13, T. 1 S., R. 21 E., Mount Diablo Base and Meridian; Latitude 37 degrees, 51 minutes, 30.5 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 37 minutes, 12.2 seconds west, USGS Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, California Quadrangle, NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 1 to 10 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is more than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 90 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm

Surface rock fragments: 0 to 85 percent

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 80 percent, with 5 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 25 percent stones and 0 to 20 percent boulders.
Clay content: 0 to 7 percent
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.0

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7 (dry), 2 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 1 to 6 (dry), 1 to 4 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or sandy loam
Clay content: 0.2 to 8 percent
Rock fragment content: 2 to 70 percent
Organic matter content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid
Other characteristics: some pedons have an AC horizon

Bw and BC horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y (dry) and 7.5YR or 10YR (moist)
Value: 5 or 6 (dry) and 3 or 4 (moist)
Chroma: 3 to 6 (dry) and 3 or 4 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 0.5 to 7 percent
Rock fragment Content: 8 to 80 percent
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 6 percent
Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid
Other characteristics: some pedons do not have a Bw or BC horizon

C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 (dry) and 3 to 6 (moist)
Chroma: 2 to 6 (dry) and 1 to 5 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 7 percent
Rock fragment content: 8 to 85 percent
Organic matter content: 0.2 to 4 percent
Reaction: extremely acid to moderately acid
Other characteristics: some pedons have a Cd horizon

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Polemonium soils. Polemonium soils formed in slope alluvium, eolian materials, and residuum on gently sloping mesas and summits of mountains and contain less than 35 percent cobbles, stones and boulders in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Canisrocks soils are on mountain slopes, mountainsides, moraines, cirques, avalanche chutes, small mountain valleys, benches, and colluvial aprons. Slope is 9 to 80 percent. Elevation is 1,441 to 3,970 meters. These soils formed in colluvium derived from granite and granodiorite. The climate is Mediterranean with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 787 to 1,651 mm and the mean annual temperature is 1.1 to 10.6 degrees C. The frost-free period is 15 to 45 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Glacierpoint and Crazymule soils. Glacierpoint soils have an umbric epipedon and/or cambic horizon. Crazymule soils have a loamy-skeletal particle-size class.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; low or medium runoff; saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wildlife habitat, watershed and recreation. The vegetation is red fir, white fir, lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, mountain hemlock, western white pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. The soils of this series are of large extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yosemite National Park, California, 2006.

REMARKS: Isotic mineralogy class based on lab data. Canisrocks soils have an ochric epipedon and do not have a cambic horizon. The vegetation according to Preliminary Description of Terrestrial Natural Community of California, Robert F. Holland and Fish and Game, State of California, 1986 is Red Fir Forest (85310), generally below 9,000/2,743.2 feet/meters elevation, White Fir Mixed Coniferous Forest (84232), Lodgepole Pine Forest (86110), Jeffrey Pine-Fir Forest (85210), Sierra Mixed Subalpine Coniferous Forest (86200), Mountain Hemlock Forest (86800), Dry Subalpine and Alpine Meadows (45220), and Western White Pine Forest (85120).

Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 27 to 102 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 18 cm

Some pedons do not have one or more O horizons.

Series updated in 2021 to include ranges of Canisrocks soils described in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Climate ranges and vegetation were not updated at this time.

ADDITIONAL DATA: *NSSL lab data pedon number 97PO129 (Pedon ID: 96CA109013) for this Canisrocks typical profile and 97PO121 (Pedon ID: 96CA109005) are available from the National Soil Survey Laboratory at the National Soil Survey Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Soil Classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.