LOCATION CHARGER CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Charger fine sandy loam, on a west facing less than 1 percent slope under a cover of plantain, mouse barley, and valley oak seedlings at an elevation of 227 feet, (69 m). When described on 6/11/97 the soil was dry from 0 to 42 inches, (0 to 107 cm), slightly moist to 63 inches, (160 cm), and moist below 63 inches, (160 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 3 inches, (0 to 8 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 14 percent clay; moderate medium platy structure parting to moderate fine and medium granular; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine and fine vesicular and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches, (0 to 25 cm) thick)
A1--3 to 7 inches, (8 to 18 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 15 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, slightly rigid, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 7 percent gravel; noneffervescent; neutral, pH 7.2 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
A2--7 to 15 inches, (18 to 38 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 16 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine and few medium and coarse tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A1 and A2 horizons is 0 to 10 inches, (0 to 25 cm) thick)
Bw1--15 to 32 inches, (38 to 81 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 16 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores and few medium and coarse tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; noneffervescent; slightly alkaline, pH 7.8 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw2--32 to 42 inches, (81 to 107 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 13 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse tubular pores; 3 percent gravel; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--42 to 53 inches, (107 to 135 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 13 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; 3 percent gravel; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw4--53 to 63 inches, (135 to 160 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 12 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; common fine and medium irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist, oxidized iron masses throughout and few fine irregular black (N 2/0) moist, iron-manganese masses between peds; 2 percent gravel; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 0 to 50 inches, (0 to 127 cm) thick)
C--63 to 80 inches, (160 to 203 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 3 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine to medium interstitial and tubular pores; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog. (20 to 40 inches, (51 to 102 cm) thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 0.5 miles northwest of the Durham Mutual Diversion Dam; approximately 1650 feet south and 1450 feet east of the northwest corner of Section 5, Township 21 N., Range 2 E., 39 degrees, 42 minutes, 26.5 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 46 minutes, 51.8 seconds West longitude, NAD83. U.S.G.S. Quad: Chico, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to very gravelly or coarser substratum is 40 to 80 inches, (102 to 203 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to about October (about 150 to 180 days). The particle-size control section averages 5 to 17 percent clay and 0 to 25 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 40 to 80 inches, (102 to 203cm) below the surface of the soil from December through April. Redoximorphic features such as oxidized iron masses and iron-manganese masses, with colors of 7.5YR 3/4 moist, and N 2/0 moist, occur in the lower Bw horizons. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 15 percent gravel. Some pedons have silica pendants under rock fragments in the C horizon.
The Ap horizon dry color is 10YR 5/3 or 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 7.5YR 3/2 or 3/3. Texture is fine sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 8 to 17 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 5/3 or 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3 or 7.5YR 3/2. Texture is fine sandy loam or sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 8 to 17 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 15 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon dry color is 10YR 5/3, 6/4, 7/4, 7.5YR 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3, 7.5YR 3/3, 4/2 or 4/3. Texture is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 8 to 17 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The C horizon dry color is 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 7/3. 7.5YR 5/4 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3 or 7.5YR 4/3. Texture is gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly sandy loam, very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very gravelly coarse sand, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, extremely gravelly fine sand or extremely cobbly sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 1 to 10 percent. Rock fragments range from 20 to 70 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Acampo, Pfeiffer, San Andreas, Tokay, Walong and Veritas series. Veritas soils are deep to a duripan. San Andreas and Walong soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Acampo soils have a duripan within 40 inches, (102 cm). Pfeiffer soils have a paralithic contact below 40 inches, (102 cm). Tokay soils lack a water table and gravel in the C horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Charger soils are on proximal alluvial fans. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in overbank alluvium over channel alluvium from predominantly volcanic rocks. Elevation is 185 to 600 feet, (56 to 183 m). Mean annual precipitation is 24 to 28 inches, (610 to 711 mm). The mean annual temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 250 to 255 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Vina and Redsluff soils. Vina soils are on mid-fans and lack very gravelly substratum within 80 inches, (203 cm). Redsluff soils are on terraces and have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very low runoff; moderately rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity in the Ap, A and Bw horizons and moderately rapid to very rapid in the C horizon. A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 40 to 80 inches, (102 to 203 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for homesite development and orchards. Vegetation is valley oak savanna and riparian forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occurs in the (262Aa) North Valley Alluvium subsection of the (262A) Great Valley section. MLRA 17. Sacramento Valley. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - zone from 0 to 15 inches, (0 to 38 cm) (Ap, A1, A2)
Cambic horizon - zone from 15 to 63 inches, (38 to 160 cm) (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, Bw4)
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 40 inches, (25 to 102 cm) (A2, Bw1, Bw2).
The soil moisture control section - zone from 8 to 24 inches, (20 to 61 cm) (A2, Bw1)