LOCATION CERROCOSO CA

Tentative Series
JFR/MJL/JJJ/SBS
04/2015

CERROCOSO SERIES

The Cerrocoso series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvium weathered dominantly from granitic rock. Cerrocoso soils are formed on alluvial fans and fan terraces on slopes of 0 to 9 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches, and mean annual temperature is about 64 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Durinodic Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Cerrocoso gravelly sandy loam - on a 1 percent slope under creosotebush and filaree at an elevation of 2,525 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on November 20, 1984, the soil was slightly moist from 3 to 33 inches.)

A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; electrical conductivity 0.1 mmhos/cm; sodium-adsorption-ratio 10; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 18 inches thick)

2Bt--3 to 11 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; strong coarse prismatic and moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin and few moderately thick clay films in pores and on peds; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; electrical conductivity 1.0 mmhos/cm; sodium-absorption-ratio 12; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)

2Btkn1--11 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films in pores and on peds; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, carbonates segregated in few fine filaments; electrical conductivity 2.4 mmhos/cm; sodium-adsorption-ratio 14; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

2Btkn2--15 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; common thin clay films in pores and few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent, carbonates segregated in common fine filaments; electrical conductivity 4.7 mmhos/cm; sodium-adsorption-ratio 14; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 24 inches thick)

3BCqn-- 21 to 27 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) coarse sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm and brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 10 percent gravel; a few aggregates do not slake in hydrochloric acid; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; electrical conductivity 4.7 mmhos/cm; sodium-adsorption-ratio l5; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 14 inches thick)

4Ckq1--27 to 33 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium platy and weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; some aggregates do not slake in hydrochloric acid; strongly effervescent, carbonates segregated in common medium seams and concretions; electrical conductivity 7.1 mmhos/cm; sodium-adsorption-ratio 11; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 17 inches thick)

5Ckq2--33 to 60 inches; pinkish white (7.5YR 8/2) very gravelly coarse sand, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak moderate subangular blocky structure; hard, firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; some aggregates do not slake in hydrochloric acid; violently effervescent, carbonates segregated in common medium seams and concretions; electrical conductivity 8.2 mmhos/cm; sodium-adsorption-ratio 10; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9). (0 to 29 inches thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; about 1 1/2 miles southeast of the town of Inyokern, about 0.3 miles east of the intersection of a powerline and West Bowman Road and 100 feet south of the road; 1,100 feet east and 200 feet south of the northwest corner of section 10, T.27 S., R.39 E., MDBM. Lat. 35 degrees 36 minutes 27 seconds N, long. 117 degrees 46 minutes 22 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Some part of the natric horizon has asodium-absorption-ratio of 13 to 20. In some areas, part of the natric horizon has a sodium-adsorption-ratio of less than 13. The depth to the firm, brittle layer is 6 to 34 inches. The soil from a depth of 8 to 22 inches is usually dry in all parts from April 15 until November 30 and is moist in some or all parts for less than 90 consecutive days the rest of the year. Carbonates may or may not be present.

The A horizon has a dry color of 10YR 6/4, 6/3, 5/6, 5/4, 5/3; or 7.5YR 6/4 and moist color of 10YR 5/4, 4/6, 4/4, 4/3, 3/4, 3/3; or 7.5YR 4/4. It is loamy sand or sandy loam. It has 5 to 30 percent gravel and cobbles. It is mildly or moderately alkaline.

The Bt horizon has a dry color of 7.5YR 6/4, 5/6, 5/4, 4/6, 4/4; or 5YR 4/4 and moist color of 10YR 4/4; 7.5YR 5/6, 4/6, 4/4, 3/4, or 5YR 3/4. It has an average clay content of 20 to 35 percent and 5 to 30 percent gravel and cobbles. In some pedons, part of the Bt horizon is weakly cemented with silica. It is moderately or strongly alkaline.

The BC horizon has dry color of 7.5YR 6/6, 6/4, 5/4 or 4/6 and moist color of 7.5YR 4/6 or 4/4. It has 10 to 20 percent clay and 5 to 30 percent gravel. It is moderately or strongly alkaline. In most pedons, the BC horizon is weakly cemented with silica. Some pedons do not have BC horizon.

The C horizon has a dry color of 10YR 7/3, 6/6, 6/4; 7.5YR 8/2, 6/4, 6/2, 5/6, 5/4 or 4/6 and moist color of 10YR 6/4, 5/6, 5/4, 4/4,; 7.5YR 6/4, 4/6, or 4/4. It is stratified with sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, and loamy coarse sand with 1 to 8 percent clay and 5 to 55 percent gravel and cobbles. In some or all parts, it is weakly cemented with silica. It is mildly or moderately alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family. Similar soils in other families are: the Beoska, Beowawe, Genegraf, Jerval, Nyserva and Richert series. They have a mean annual soil temperature between 47 and 59 degrees F.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cerrocoso soils are on alluvial fans and fan terraces. Most areas are dissected by ephemeral channels and have slopes of 0 to 9 percent. The soils formed from alluvium derived mainly from granitic rocks with sedimentary and metavolcanic rocks in some areas. Elevation is 2,100 to 2,800 feet. The climate is arid with hot summers and somewhat cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 6 inches, some occurs as snow in the winter. The average January temperature is about 43 degrees F, and the average July temperature is about 86 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 62 to 67 degrees F. The frost-free season is 200 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Garlock and Neuralia soils. The Garlock and Neuralia soils lack a natric horizon and a silica cemented horizon above a depth of 40 inches. The Garlock and Neuralia soils are usually on the lower parts of alluvial fans.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very slow to medium runoff, moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Cerrocoso soils are used for homesites, watershed and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly creosotebush, filaree and white bursage.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soils occur in the northern Mojave Desert. The soils are not extensive in MLRA 30.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California, 1986.

REMARKS: When the soil was described on 11/20/84, it was slightly moist from an unsually heavy rainstorm which delivered 1.6 inches of rain to the area on August 15, 1984.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Natric horizon - the zone from 3 to 21 inches (2Bt, 2Btkn1 and 2Btkn2 horizons). Clay films are present and the increase in clay content is more than 10 percent. The sodium-adsorption-ratio is more than 13 in at least part of the horizon.

Duric layer - from 21 to 60 inches (3BCqn, 4Ckq1 and 5Ckq2 horizons). This layer is firm and brittle even after prolonged soaking, and it does not slake in hydrochloric acid.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Lincoln Soil Survey Laboratory samples (S84CA-029-019-1 through 7; 853201 through 8533207).

Series reclassified on September, 1994. Competing series not reviewed at that time.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 8/1998. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.