LOCATION CEDARWASH CA

Established Series
GMW/LJL/MEB
02/2025

CEDARWASH SERIES

The Cedarwash series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from granitoid. The Cedarwash soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 mm, and the mean annual temperature is about 14 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Cedarwash gravelly fine sandy loam, on a northeast facing, linear, 3 percent slope under rangeland at an elevation of 1598 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. 8/24/2012 actual site observation date.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 5 percent fine gravel, 10 percent medium and coarse gravel.

A--0 to 6 cm (0 to 2 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout; common fine irregular and common very fine irregular pores; 12 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse gravel; electrical conductivity is 0.1 dS/m; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N05921 (4 to 7 cm thick)

Bt--6 to 25 cm (2 to 10 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, brown (10YR 4/3), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common fine irregular and common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent faint brown (10YR 4/3) clay films on rock fragments and 5 percent faint clay films on all faces of peds; 6 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse gravel; electrical conductivity is 0.1 dS/m; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N05922 (19 to 144 cm thick)

BC--25 to 108 cm (10 to 43 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common fine dendritic tubular and common medium irregular and common very fine dendritic tubular pores; 6 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse gravel; electrical conductivity is 0.1 dS/m; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N05923

Ck--108 to 150 cm (43 to 59 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots throughout and few very fine roots throughout; common fine tubular and common fine irregular and common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent faint very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate coats on rock fragments; 8 percent fine gravel, 4 percent medium and coarse gravel; electrical conductivity is 0.2 dS/m; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). Lab sample # 13N05924 (Combined thickness of the BC and Ck horizons is 5 to 125 cm.)

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 22 miles southwest of Nipton, California along the east side of Black Canyon Road within the Mojave National Preserve Area; about 460 feet west and 870 feet north of the southeast corner of section 31, T. 13 N., R. 15 E., San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian; USGS Mid Hills, California 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 35 degrees, 9 minutes, 32.80 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 24 minutes, 15.20 seconds west longitude; UTM zone 11 645341e, 3891854n, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part from December to March and intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during July to September following summer convection storms; aridic moisture regime that borders on ustic.

Soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C (54 to 59 degrees F).
Depth to argillic horizon: 4 to 7 cm (1.5 to 3 inches).
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 25 to 150 cm (10 to 60 inches).

Control section
Rock fragments: 8 to 35 percent, dominantly gravel.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel.
Reaction: slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Organic matter: 0.25 to 0.75 percent.

Bt horizon(s)
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 through 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 8 to 35 percent gravel.
Reaction: neutral through slightly alkaline.

BC, Ck or C horizons (when present)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, or very fine sandy loam.
Clay content: averages 4 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent gravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Betonnie, Bijou, Davishat (T), Terro, Terry, and Vonalee series. All these soils receive at least 250 millimeters (10 inches) of precipitation annually. In addition, Betonnie, Terro, Terry and Vonalee soils are derived from sandstone. Terro and Terry soils are moderately deep (50 to 100 cm, 20 to 40 inches) to soft sandstone bedrock. Betonnie soils are 10 to 38 cm (4 to 15 inches) deep to the top of the argillic horizon. Bijou soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 13 degrees C (47 to 55 degrees C) and are 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16 inches) deep to the top of the argillic horizon. Davishat soils are derived from sandstone and limestone and have visible secondary calcium carbonates starting at a depth of 25 cm (10 inches) and a calcium carbonate equivalent in the substratum of 2 to 5 percent. Vonalee soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 10.5 degrees C (47 to 52 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Cedarwash soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from granitoid. Elevation ranges from 1540 to 1710 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 175 to 225 mm. The mean annual air temperature is about 10 to 13 degrees C. The frost-free period is 160 to 200 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cetrepas and Midhills soils. The Cetrepas soils are on nearby low hills and are shallow to a paralithic contact with hard granitoid bedrock beneath the weathered bedrock and have more than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Midhills soils are on adjacent hills, have mollic epipedons and a lithic contact.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Cedarwash soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is big sagebrush, Utah juniper, black grama and big galleta.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Basin and Range of California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California, Soil Survey of Mojave National Preserve Area, California, 2022. The name is coined from Cedar Wash.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 cm. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 6 to 25 cm. (Bt horizon)
Particle size control section - the zone from 6 to 25 cm. (Bt horizon)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User/Pedon Site ID: S2013CA071007Lab. Updated on September 21, 2022, to match the NSSL results. Prior NASIS User/Pedon Site ID was 2012CA795802.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.