LOCATION CHEMEHUEVI              CA

Established Series
Rev: LJL/ET
12/2015

CHEMEHUEVI SERIES

The Chemehuevi series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from granite, schist, and gneiss. Chemehuevi soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 millimeters (about 4 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 23 degrees C (about 73 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Chemehuevi gravelly sandy loam on a southwest facing, 7 percent slope at an elevation of 272 meters (about 900 feet). When described on 04/16/2003 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 65 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 4 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate very thick platy parting to moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 30 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 centimeters thick)

Bk1--4 to 18 centimeters (2 to 7 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 25 percent, fine, patchy, faint, very pale brown, dry, carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 15 percent pebbles; violently effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary.

Bk2--18 to 33 centimeters (7 to 13 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and few medium roots; common, very fine and few, fine tubular pores; 15 percent, very coarse and coarse, prominent, white, dry, irregular, carbonate masses in soil matrix; 25 percent, fine, patchy, faint, very pale brown, dry, carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 35 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons range from 20 to 50 centimeters)

Bkq--33 to 82 centimeters (13 to 32 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent, very coarse and coarse, prominent, white, dry, irregular, carbonate masses in soil matrix; 85 percent, less than 1 mm thick, distinct, discontinuous, brownish yellow, dry, silica films on bottom of rock fragments; 65 percent, less than 1 mm thick, discontinuous, faint, very pale brown, dry, carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 30 percent pebbles and 1 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (17 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 65 centimeters thick)

2Bkqy--82 to 155 centimeters (32 to 61 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky, and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 85 percent, less 1 to 2 mm thick, distinct, discontinuous, brownish yellow, dry, silica films on bottom of rock fragments; 1 percent, 1 to 2 mm thick, distinct, very pale brown, dry, gypsum masses on bottom of rock fragments; 15 percent, 2.5 to 15 cm thick, distinct, very pale brown, dry, carbonate masses in bands and pipes in soil matrix; 65 percent pebbles and trace of cobbles; strongly effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the fine earth fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 22 miles south and 5 miles east of Needles, CA located in the Chemehuevi Valley west of the Colorado River; approximately 300 feet west and 1,100 feet south of the northeast corner of section 12, T. 14 N., R. 23 E., MDBM; USGS Savahia Peak NE, CA 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 34 degrees, 27 minutes, 10.8 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 30 minutes, 29.6 seconds west longitude; UTM 11S 0728907e 3815203n (DATUM: NAD83).

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 83 degrees F).

Depth to calcic horizon: 3 to 25 centimeters.

Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.

Control section -
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 60 percent, mainly fine and medium gravel.
Clay content: averages 8 to 12 percent, ranges from 6 to 12 percent in the upper part and 2 to 8 percent in the lower part.

A horizon
Structure: moderate or strong, fine or medium.

Bk1 or Bk2 horizons
Structure: medium or coarse
Consistence: soft or slightly hard, friable or very friable.
Clay content: 6 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 5 to 15 percent.

Bkq horizon
Structure: weak or moderate, fine or medium
Consistence: slightly hard or moderately hard, very friable or friable.
Rock fragments: 25 to 35 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 10 to 20 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

2Bkqy/2Bkq horizon
Structure: massive
Consistence: slightly hard or moderately hard, very friable or friable.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 75 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 5 to 15 percent.
Gypsum: 0 to 1 percent.
Other features: Bands and piping of lime: 5 to 25 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gunsight (AZ), Heleweiser (NV) and Supplymine (CA)series. The Gunsight and Heleweiser soils are have a mean annual soil temperature of 22 to 25 degrees C. The Supplymine soils are moderately deep to bedrock, 51 to 80 centimeters.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chemehuevi soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from granite, gneiss, and schist. Elevations range from approximately 145 to 540 meters (about 475 to 1,800 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, dry winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters (about 3 to 5 inches); mean annual air temperature is 23 to 26 degrees C (about 73 to 79 degrees F), and the frost-free period is 325 to 365 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Emptygun, Garywash and Rizzo series. Emptygun and Rizzo soils have a sandy-skeletal particle-size control section. Garywash soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Chemehuevi soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. Overland flow for Chemehuevi soils ultimately drains into Lake Havasu. The present vegetation is mainly creosote bush, plantain, spiny turkshead, and burrobush.

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, Chemehuevi Wash OHV Area, Part of the Colorado Desert Area Soil Survey, 2012. The name is derived from Chemehuevi Wash located in the eastern portion of the Mojave Desert, west of the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation and Colorado River.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches) (A and Bk1 horizons).
Calcic horizon - from a depth of 4 to 155 centimeters (2 to 61 inches) (Bk1, Bk2, Bkq and 2Bkqy horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 0 to 18 centimeters (10 to 40 inches) (part of the Bk2, Bkq and part of the 2Bkqy horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 6799-77-11LL.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.