LOCATION CAROLLO CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Gypsic Haplosalids
TYPICAL PEDON: Carollo clay loam, on a slope of 7 percent under sparse cover of shrubs and annual grasses at 390 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 3/21/77 the soil was moist below 6 inches.)
Az--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; common fine gypsum crystals; neutral (pH 6.8); EC 18 mmhos, SAR 28; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Btyz1--2 to 6 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium columnar structure parting to strong coarse subangular blocky; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; few moderately thick clay films in pores and on peds; common fine gypsum crystals; mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); EC 38 mmhos; SAR 44; abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Btyz2--6 to 11 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard,firm, sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots, few very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; few moderately thick clay films in pores and on peds; many fine gypsum crystals, mildly alkaline (pH 7.4); EC 40 mmhos; SAR 46; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Btyz3--11 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/4) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few very fine interstitial pores; many thick clay films on peds; common fine gypsum crystals; a 1/2 inch layer of clear, nearly pure gypsum overlies the C horizon; EC 40 mmhos; SAR 46; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Cyz--19 to 32 inches; mixed olive gray (5Y 5/2) and very dark gray (N 3/0) clay loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) and very dark gray (N 3/0) moist; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) dry and moist mottles; massive; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine interstitial pores; common fine gypsum crystals; neutral (pH 7.0); EC 45; SAR 50; abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 16 inches thick)
Cr--32 inches; mixed light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and very dark gray (N 3/0) highly fractured shale, olive gray (5Y 4/2) and very dark gray (N 3/0) moist. Common fine prominent brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) mottles, yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist; hard, firm shale slakes in water.
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, California; approximately 2 miles north of Kern County line; about 480 feet east of 25th Avenue and 90 feet north of fence line in section 22, T.24 S., R.19 E., MDB&M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 63 degrees F. The solum is 15 to 24 inches thick. The moisture control section is dry in all parts from May through December. The soil has very high levels of salinity and EC ranges from 15 to 50 mmhos throughout. Salinity commonly increases with depth.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/2, 5/4, or 6/3 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2 or 5/3. It is neutral or mildly alkaline.
The B2t horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, 6/3 or 6/4 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3 or 5/4. It is clay or silty clay and averages 40 to 60 percent clay. This horizon commonly has strong, medium or coarse, columnar structure parting to strong, coarse, subangular blocky and less commonly has moderate or strong, medium prismatic structure. The lower part of the B horizon is massive when moist. This horizon has accumulations of calcium sulfate in excess of 2 percent. The exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) ranges from 15 to 40. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The C1 horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/3, 6/4; 5Y 5/2 or N 3/0 and moist color of 10YR 5/3, 5/4; 5Y 4/2, or N 3/0. Some pedons lack mottles. The layer of clear, nearly pure, highly fractured, crystal-line gypsum 1/8 to 1/2 inch thick that overlies the C horizon is not present in all pedons. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gass, Lethent, and Oban series in the same family. Gass soils have 7.5YR or 5YR hue in the natric horizon and have a solum 40 to 60 inches thick. Lethent soils lack a paralithic contact. Oban soils have an argillic horizon with an abrupt upper boundary and with an absolute clay increase of 15 percent or more.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Carollo soils are on low hills. Slopes are 5 to 20 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from fine grained fractured shales. Elevations are 300 to 700 feet. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 5 to 7 inches. Mean January temperature is about 47 degrees F.; mean July temperature is about 84 degrees F.; mean annual temperature is about 65 degrees F. Frost-free season is 230 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cantua, Kettleman, and Mercey soils. Cantua soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section. Kettleman soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section. Mercey soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; rapid runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for cattle and sheep grazing during the late winter and spring season. Natural vegetation is all scale saltbush (Atriplex polycarpa), filaree (Erodium), and foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Kettleman Hills. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, California, 1980.
Series reclassified on September, 1994. Competing series not reviewed at that time.