LOCATION CHINACAMP CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Haplic Palexeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Chinacamp gravelly loam, on an east southeast facing 55 percent slope under a cover of canyon live oak, California laurel, deerbrush, and Pacific poison oak at an elevation of 490 ft, (149 m). When described on 6/30/1999 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 1 inch, (0 to 3 cm); slightly decomposed plant material; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--1 to 5 inches, (3 to 13 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky parting to strong fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine through coarse tubular pores; 5 percent cobbles and 25 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches, (5 to 10 cm) thick)
Bt1--5 to 15 inches, (13 to 38 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 30 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 70 percent continuous faint clay films; 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--15 to 29 inches, (38 to 74 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 34 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 5 percent boulders, 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--29 to 38 inches, (74 to 97 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 37 percent clay; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots and few medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, 10 percent boulders and 15 percent gravel; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt4--38 to 44 inches, (97 to 112 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 36 percent clay; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 5 percent boulders, 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt5--44 to 61 inches, (112 to 155 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 37 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 10 percent cobbles, 10 percent gravel and 50 percent stones; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt6--61 to 72 inches, (155 to 183 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very stony clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 35 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 5 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 30 percent stones; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 54 to greater than 78 inches, (137 to 198 cm) thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 2.7 miles south southwest of Centerville, approximately 450 feet east and 1800 feet south of the northwest corner of Section 20, Township 22 N., Range 3 E.; 39 degrees, 45 minutes, 4 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 40 minutes, 20 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S Quad: Paradise West, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches, (152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F, (15 to 18 degrees C). The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and 35 to 60 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 10 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent stones and 0 to 15 percent boulders.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 6/3, 7/3, 7.5YR 6/4 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 4/2 or 7.5YR 4/3. Texture is gravelly loam, extremely cobbly loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam or very cobbly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 26 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones and to 0 to 5 percent boulders. Reaction ranges from neutral to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon dry color is 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 7/2, 7/3, 7/4, 7.5YR 6/6, or 7/4. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 7.5YR 4/4, or 5/4. Texture is gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, extremely cobbly clay loam, very stony clay loam, extremely stony clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, gravelly clay or cobbly clay. Clay content ranges from 27 to 42 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 45 percent gravel, 5 to 45 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent stones and to 0 to 10 percent boulders. Reaction ranges from neutral to moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Chinacamp soils are on side slopes in canyons in Cascade foothills. Slopes are 3 to 70 percent. These soils formed in colluvium weathered from volcanic mudflow breccia. Elevation is 300 to 2000 ft, (91 to 610 m). Mean annual precipitation is 29 to 57 inches, (737 to 1448 mm). The mean annual temperature is 57 to 61 degrees F, (14 to 16 degrees C). Frost free season is 215 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Slideland and Coalcanyon soils. Slideland soils are fine-loamy. Coalcanyon soils have a mollic epipedon and formed in colluvium from Lovejoy basalt.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderate to moderately slow saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon and moderately slow to slow in the Bt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, wildlife habitat and some home site development. Vegetation is canyon live oak, black oak, blue oak, whiteleaf manzanita, bigleaf maple, California laurel, deerbrush, Pacific poison oak, foothill pine, valley oak, ponderosa pine, grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur in the M26Fa (Tuscan flows) subsection of the M261F (Sierra Nevada Foothills) section. MLRA 18 - Sierra Nevada Foothills (Cascade part). The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is from China Camp in Butte Creek Canyon.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - zone from 15 to 35 in, (38 to 89 cm)
Ochric epipedon - zone from 1 to 5 in, (3 to 13 cm) (A)
Argillic horizon - zone from 15 to 72 in, (38 to 183 cm) (Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5, Bt6)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 8 to 24 in, (21 to 61 cm) is dry in all parts from about June to October (about 135 days).