LOCATION CASHBAUGH               CA

Established Series
Rev. ET-MAV-GAM
03/2017

CASHBAUGH SERIES

The Cashbaugh series consists of shallow and very shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils. They formed in mixed alluvium and volcanic ash deposited on tuffaceous sandstone and basalt bedrock. Cashbaugh soils are on nearly level to undulating volcanic tablelands, volcanic flows and lake terraces. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, nonacid, mesic Lithic Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Cashbaugh gravelly loamy sand - on a 2 percent southeast slope at 62,120 meter elevation under big sagebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, and antelope bitterbrush vegetation. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described October 4, 1979, the soil was dry throughout. About 20 percent of the soil surface is covered with gravel.

A1--0 to 3 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent fine and medium gravel, neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--3 to 25 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine and medium gravel; neutral (pH 6.9); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 43 cm thick)

2R--25 cm; hard tuffaceous sandstone bedrock; can be broken in large horizontal plates with backhoe.

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California. About 6 miles northwest of the Crowley Lake dam; 15 feet south of dirt road, just west of bend in road; 800 feet north and 750 feet east of the southwest corner of section 28, T. 3 S., R. 29 E.; USGS Whitmore Hot Springs 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 39 minutes 13 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 47 minutes 16 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 37.6536111 latitude, -118.7877778 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to tuffaceous sandstone or basalt bedrock is 15 to 50 cm. The soil above the bedrock is usually dry from mid-May through mid-November, and is moist in some or all parts the rest of time. The soil temperature is above 5.0 degrees C. from April 1 to December 20, and is above 8.3 degrees C. from April 15 to November 15. Summer and fall thunderstorms occur, but are sporadic and usually do not significantly wet the control section. The mean annual soil temperature is 8.3 to 11.7 degrees C. The soil surface is covered with 10 to 25 percent rock fragments. Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.

The A horizon color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2 or 6/3, and moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2 or 4/3. Textures are loamy sand or gravelly loamy sand with 5 to 25 percent rock fragments. Cobbles (bedrock fragments) are present in some areas and make up 0 to 3 percent of the soil volume. Some of the rock fragments are pumice and obsidian. Very stony phases are recognized with 25 percent stones and cobbles and texture of very stony loamy sand. Organic carbon content is 0.4 to 0.5 percent. Base saturation is 90 to 100 percent. Rhyolitic volcanic ash makes up 40 to 60 percent of the soil by weight. The soil is slightly acid to neutral.

The R contact is considered lithic and usually has a horizontal cleavage.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cashbaugh soils are on volcanic tablelands, volcanic flows and lake terraces. They have formed in mixed alluvium and volcanic ash deposited on tuffaceous sandstone and basalt bedrock. Slopes are 0 to 50 percent. The elevation range is 1,955 to 2,290 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 330 mm, mostly as snow. Mean annual snowfall is 60 to 90 inches. The mean January temperature is about 0.6 degrees C; the mean July temperature is about 15.6 degrees C. The mean annual temperature is 6.7 to 10.0 degrees C. The frost-free season is 110 to 140 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Brantel and Zono soils. Brantel soils are very deep, ashy, alluvial soils. Zono soils are deep, ashy soils over bedrock.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very slow to medium runoff; rapid permeability; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used principally for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Indian ricegrass, western needlegrass, needleandthread grass, and perennial forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Crowley Lake basin in east-central California. The soils are of small extent. MLRA is 26.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Mono County, California; Benton-Owens Valley Soil Survey, 1983. Cashbaugh series is named after the Cashbaugh Ranch near Crowley Lake.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizon and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to about 25 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 25 cm (R).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 0 to 25 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.