LOCATION CELIO CA NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Oxyaquic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Celio gravelly loamy coarse sand - less than 1 percent slope under lodgepole pine, juniper, squirrel tail and big sage brush at 1932 meters elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described October 25, 1967, the profile was moist to 142 cm and near field capacity below).
A1--0 to 20 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; thin gravel pavement on surface; hydrophobic; moderately acid (pH 6.0); diffuse wavy boundary. (18 to 23 cm thick)
A2--20 to 41 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravels and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); diffuse wavy boundary. (18 to 25 cm thick)
BA--41 to 58 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravels and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 46 cm thick)
2Bw--58 to 114 cm; variegated reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely gravelly coarse sand, variegated brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; many large prominent dark brown (10YR 3/3) redoximorphic concentrations; 60 percent gravels and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (41 to 61 cm thick)
2Bqm--114 to 142 cm; variegated reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/8) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) strongly cemented, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) moist; massive, extremely hard, very firm; roots matted on surface; common very fine pores; many medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) redoximorphic concentrations, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; 60 percent gravels and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 28 cm thick)
2Bg1--142 to 170 cm; white (N 8/; 10YR 8/1) extremely gravelly coarse sand, light gray (10YR 7/2) moist; single grained; loose; many very fine interstitial pores; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist redoximorphic concentrations; 60 percent gravels and 2 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (25 to 51 cm thick)
2Bg2--170 to 203 cm; white (N8/; 10YR 8/1) coarse sand, light gray (N 7/) moist; thin horizontal black (N 2/dry and moist) bands; single grained; loose, many very fine interstitial pores; horizon becomes very gravelly with depth; neutral (pH 6.6).
TYPE LOCATION: El Dorado County, California; Lake Tahoe; 1/4 mile west of Meyers checking station, west side of Hwy 89 extension; 0.1 mile north of southeast corner sec. 30, T. 12 N., R. 18 E. MDB&M. 38 degrees, 51 minutes, 8 seconds N latitude and 120 degrees, 1 minute, 22 seconds W longitude NAD27, Echo Lake 7.5 minute series topographic quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: These soils are never dry in all horizons between depth of 30 to 89 cm for as much as 45 to 60 consecutive days because of moisture movement above the cemented layer.
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 5 to 8 degrees C. The mean summer soil temperature varies from 13 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to the silica cemented horizon ranges from 100 to 150 cm.
Redoximorphic features: 53 to 76 cm.
When present, 0 horizons range from 3 to 8 cm thick.
A horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR or 5YR.
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 3 moist
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Organic matter: 2 to 8 percent.
Texture: loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or coarse sandy loam
Rock fragments: 15 to 40 percent gravel and/or cobbles.
Reaction: slightly to moderately acid.
BA horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry or moist
Chroma: 3 through 8 dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, loamy coarse sand or loamy sand
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent gravel and/or cobbles
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral.
2Bqm horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4 through 6 moist or dry
Chroma: 4through 8, moist or dry
Cementation: weakly to strongly cemented with silica and is very firm to extremely firm in place but ruptures under pressure.
2Bg horizons
Hue: 10YR or N moist or dry
Value: 7 or 8 moist or dry
Chroma: / through 2, moist or dry
Texture: stratified with layers of coarse sand or gravel
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Celio soils are on nearly level to gently sloping glacial outwash at elevations of 1860 to 2075 meters. They formed in gravelly and cobbly sandy alluvium derived from mixed but dominantly granitic sources. The climate is cool continental. Mean annual precipitation varies from 635 to 1524 millimeters. Cold water from snow melt keeps the soil temperature below 15 degrees C throughout the summer. The mean annual temperature is 6 degrees C, mean January temperature is -3 degrees C, and mean July temperature is 15 degrees C. The frost-free season is 25 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tahoe, Gefo, Marla and Meeks soils. The Gefo soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments, are well drained and are on outwash terraces. Tahoe and Marla soils are poorly drained with the Tahoe soils on flood plains and Marla in and around the flood plain. Meeks soils are somewhat excessively drained and are on moraines.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; high runoff; rapid permeability to the silica cementation and very slow below. The soils are saturated within 30 inches of the surface from January to July.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for homesites, recreation, range, and woodland. Native vegetation is lodgepole pine, juniper, perennial grasses, and meadow grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Glacial outwash areas of the Sierra Nevada Range. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: El Dorado County (Tahoe Basin Area), California, 1970.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 100 cm, A2, BA, and part of the 2Bw Redox Concentrations: 58 to 170 cm, 2Bw, 2Bqm, 2Bg1
Silica cemented horizon:114 to 142 cm, 2Bqm
ADDITIONAL DATA: The Celio pedon described in the Soil Survey Investigation Report No. 24, pg 420-421 is used as the typical pedon; NSSL pedon S68CA-017-014.