LOCATION CATFISHBAY              CA

Established Series
Rev: LJL/CAH/ET
12/2015

CATFISHBAY SERIES

The Catfishbay series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from igneous and metamorphic rock. The Catfishbay soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 75 millimeters (about 3 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 25 degrees C (77 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Catfishbay sandy loam on an east facing, 2 percent slope at an elevation of 150 meters (about 500 feet). When described on 06/11/2008 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by 70 percent gravel.

A--0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine interstitial and many very fine vesicular pores; 5 percent fine gravel and 5 percent medium and coarse gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 7 centimeters thick)

Btkq1--5 to 49 centimeters (2 to 19 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), dry, clay films between sand grains and 2 percent faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), dry, clay films on rock fragments and 2 percent faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), dry, silica on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 10 percent coarse prominent irregular white (10YR 8/1), dry, carbonate masses with sharp boundaries in soil matrix; 2 percent fine gravel and 3 percent medium and coarse gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (40 to 90 centimeters thick)

Btkq2--49 to 76 centimeters (19 to 30 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) sand, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), dry, clay films between sand grains and 2 percent faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), dry, clay films on rock fragments and 2 percent faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), dry, silica on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 5 percent medium prominent irregular white (10YR 8/1), dry, carbonate masses with sharp boundaries in soil matrix; 5 percent fine gravel and 5 percent medium and coarse gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.

Btkq3--76 to 114 centimeters (30 to 45 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), dry, clay films between sand grains and 2 percent faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), dry, clay films on rock fragments and 2 percent faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), dry, silica on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 1 percent fine prominent threadlike white (10YR 8/1), dry, carbonate masses with clear boundaries on surfaces along pores; 5 percent fine gravel and 15 percent medium and coarse gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary.

Bkq--114 to 150 centimeters (45 to 59 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine interstitial and many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent faint brownish yellow (10YR 6/6), dry, silica on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 10 percent very coarse prominent irregular very pale brown (10YR 7/3), dry, carbonate masses with diffuse boundaries in soil matrix; 10 percent fine gravel and 20 percent medium and coarse gravel; violent effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0). (Combined thickness of the lower B horizons is 50 to 110 centimeters.)

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; 1 kilometer east and 6 kilometers north of Havasu Lake, CA, next to the Colorado River; 680 meters east and 300 meters north of the southwest corner of Section 7, Township 5 north, Range 25 east; 34 degrees, 32 minutes, 19 seconds North latitude and 114 degrees, 24 minutes, 4 seconds West longitude; USGS Castle Rock, AZ 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 738507e 3824962n (DTM: NAD 83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry throughout, rarely moist in some part during summer or winter. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 25 to 28 degrees C (about 77 to 82 degrees F).

Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.

Depth to argillic and calcic horizons: 3 to 25 centimeters.

Control section -
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent gravel, predominantly 2 to 40 millimeters.
Clay content: 9 to 18 percent.

A horizon(s)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Loamy fine sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bk or Bkq horizon (when present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Loamy fine sand or sandy loam.
Clay content: 4 to 9 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent gravel.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Btkq1 or Btk1 horizon(s)
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 9 to 16 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent.

Btkq2, Btkq3, Bkq1, and/or Bkq2 horizon(s)
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 3 dry; 3, 4 or 6 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Coarse sand, sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand.
Clay content: 2 to 6 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 0 to 35 percent, ranges from 0 to 60 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Growler (AZ) and Wellton (AZ) soils. Growler soils have salinity of 16 to 30 ds/m and sodium absorption ratio of 31 to over 90. Wellton soils have loamy very fine sand or finer soil textures throughout the lower part of the soil profile. Growler and Wellton soils have mean annual soil temperatures of less than 25 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Catfishbay soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from igneous and metamorphic rock. Elevation is 135 to 210 meters (about 440 to 690 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, dry winters. The mean annual precipitation is 50 to 100 millimeters (about 2 to 4 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 23 to 27 degrees C (about 73 to 81 degrees F). The frost free season is 365 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Rizzo and Havasulake soils. The Rizzo soils are on inset fans and fan aprons, and have a sandy-skeletal particle-size control section. Havasulake soils are on fan remnants and have a loamy-skeletal particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderately high hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Catfishbay soils are used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and irrigated crops. Present vegetation is mainly creosote bush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Colorado Desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 31. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Colorado Desert Soil Survey Area, 2009. The name is coined from Catfish Bay located 1.5 kilometers to the southeast.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Ochric Epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 5 cm (0 to 2 inches) (A horizon).
Argillic Horizon - from a depth of 5 to 49 cm (2 to 19 inches) (Btkq1 horizon).
Calcic Horizon - from a depth of 5 to 150 cm (2 to 60 inches) (Btkq1, Btkq2, Btkq3, and Bkq horizons).
Particle Size Control Section - from a depth of 5 to 49 cm (2 to 19 inches) (Btkq1 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 6799-151-9LL.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2012. ET

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.