LOCATION CAPERTON CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Entic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Caperton gravelly coarse sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A11--0 to 6 inches; mixed dark grayish brown and grayish brown (10YR 4/2), 5/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive, slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine to medium tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent fine gravel (2-5mm), 16 percent coarse sand sieved; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
A12--6 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine to medium roots; common fine and medium tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent fine gravel (2-5mm); 20 percent coarse sand, sieved; slightly acid (pH 6.2); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
C1--12 to 18 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common medium and coarse horizontal roots; many very fine to medium tubular and interstitial pores; 30 percent fine gravel (2-5mm); 20 percent coarse sand, sieved; medium acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
C2r--18 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/2) and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) well weathered quartz diorite crushing to very gravelly coarse sandy loam; massive; few medium and coarse horizontal roots; 70 percent fine gravel (2-5mm); medium acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
C3r--23 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) well weathered quartz diorite crushing to very gravelly coarse sandy loam, massive; many moderately thick red (2.5YR 4/4, 4/6) clay films in pores and bridging mineral grains; 70 percent fine gravel (2-5mm); medium acid (pH 5.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Placer County, California; 4 miles west of Roseville, 5 feet east of Barton Road, 75 feet south of Olive Branch Road intersection; 75 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 2, T. 10 N., R. 7 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact of weathered granitic rock is 8 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is about 60 to 65 degrees F and the soil temperature usually is not below 47 degrees F at any time. The soil below depth of 8 inches is usually dry all of the time from June until October, and is moist in some or all parts all the rest of the year. Fine angular gravel comprises 5 to 35 percent of the soil volume. The soils are gravelly coarse sandy loam or coarse sandy loam and have less than 18 percent clay. Base saturation is greater than 75 percent throughout to the paralithic contact. The soils are slightly acid or medium acid. The organic matter is more than one percent and decreases regularly to less than one percent at a depth of 8 to 12 inches.
The A horizon is dark grayish brown, grayish brown, brown, or yellowish brown (10YR 4/2, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 7.5YR 5/4). Moist value and chroma are 2 or 3. This horizon is soft or slightly hard.
The C1 horizon is brown, pale brown, light yellowish brown or light brown (10YR 5/3, 6/3, 6/4; 7.5YR 5/4, 6/4). The C3r horizon has moderately thick clay films coating fracture planes in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bonnydoon, Cieneba, Friant, Hambright and Lodo series. Bonnydoon soils have more than 18 percent clay throughout. Cieneba soils have A horizons with value of 6 dry, and/or 4 moist. Friant soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 6 to 20 inches. Hambright soils have a lithic contact and have more than 35 percent rock fragments in their control section. Lodo soils have a lithic contact and contain 18 to 35 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Caperton soils are on uplands. They formed in material weathered from coarse grained acid igneous rock, mainly granodiorite and quartz diorite. Elevations are 200 to 1,500 feet. The climate is moist subhumid mesothermal with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches. Average January temperature is 44 degrees F; average July temperature is 76 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 60 degrees F. The freeze-free season is 220 to 270 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ahwahnee, Andregg, Auberry, Sierra and Tollhouse soils. Ahwahnee, Auberry and Sierra soils lack mollic epipedons and have B2t horizons. Andregg soils are 24 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Tollhouse soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 54 to 59 degrees F.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for dryland and irrigated pasture, range and as watershed. Small areas are used for orchards and vineyards. Vegetation is annual grass-oak with some scattered digger pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower foothills of the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Placer County (Western Part), California, 1975.
REMARKS:
Last revised by the state on 6/76.