LOCATION CLEARHAYES CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Clearhayes sandy clay loam, on a south facing 0.5 percent slope under a cover of filaree, medusahead, Mediterranean barley, and clover at an elevation of 198 feet, (60 m). When described on 4/5/00 the soil was dry to 19 inches, (48 cm), very slightly moist between 19 and 28 inches, (48 and 71 cm), slightly moist between 28 and 38 inches, (71 and 97 cm) and moist below 38 inches, (97 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 25 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse platy structure; extremely hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots and common very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral, pH 6.7 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches, (2.5 to 5 cm) thick)
Bt1--2 to 10 inches, (5 to 25 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 34 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots and common very fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 18 percent gravel; neutral, pH 7.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--10 to 19 inches, (25 to 48 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 30 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 80 percent continuous distinct clay films; 5 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; slightly alkaline, pH 7.4 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizon is 8 to 59 inches, (20 to 150 cm) thick)
C1--19 to 28 inches, (48 to 71 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; 17 percent clay; single grain; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine irregular and tubular pores; 25 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline, pH 8.0 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
C2--28 to 38 inches, (71 to 97 cm); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; 2 percent clay; single grain; loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; 35 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
C3--38 to 46 inches, (97 to 117 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 26 percent clay; single grain; hard, very friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; 3 percent stones, 35 percent cobbles and 40 percent gravel; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of C horizon is 0 to 30 inches, (0 to 76 cm) thick)
2Cr--46 inches, (117 cm); very weakly cemented volcanic sandstone bedrock; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 0.8 miles east of the Durham-Pentz Road Highway 99 overpass, approximately 1200 feet north and 2400 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 25, Township 21 N., Range 2 E., 39 degrees, 38 minutes, 34 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 42 minutes, 5 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S Quad: Hamlin Canyon, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic bedrock is 40 to 60 inches, (102 to 152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 68 degrees F, (17 to 20 degrees C). The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and 13 inches, (33 cm) below the surface soil from December through April. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 2 percent stones. Some pedons lack a C horizon.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 7.5YR 5/3, 6/2, or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, or 7.5YR 4/2. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam, clay loam, gravelly sandy loam, or gravelly loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 30 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline
The Bt horizon dry color is 10YR 5/2, 6/2, 6/3, 7.5YR 6/2, 6/3 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/1, 4/2, 5/2, 5/3, 7.5YR 4/2 or 4/3. Texture is sandy clay loam, clay loam, gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 17 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from neutral to strongly alkaline.
The C horizon dry color is 10YR 6/2, 7/3, 7/4 or 7.5YR 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 4/1, 5/3 or 7.5YR 5/3. Texture is very gravelly coarse sandy loam, extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, extremely gravelly sandy loam, extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand or very cobbly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 2 to 30 percent. Rock fragments range from 20 to 60 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones. Reaction ranges from slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arbuckle, Blasingame, Boga, Esparto, Loemstone, Nodhill, Pinspring, Sesame, Fallbrook, Montpellier, Pomo, Ramona, Tivy, Wasioja, Wyman and Snelling series. Arbuckle, Boga, Esparto, Pinspring and Snelling soils are very deep. Blasingame, Nodhill and Sesame soils are moderately deep. Loemstone soils lack rock fragments throughout. Tivy soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact. Montepellier, Fallbrook, Ramona and Wyman soils are redder than 10YR. Wasioja soils do not have a paralithic contact. Pomo soils are well drained and have a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Clearhayes soils are on bars on low strath terraces on Cascade foothills . Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in overbank alluvium over channel alluvium from volcanic rocks. Elevation is 140 to 400 feet, (42 to 120 m). Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 29 inches, (635 to 737 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 Hamslough and Bosquejo gravelly substratum soils. Hamslough soils are clayey-skeletal and smectitic. Bosquejo gravelly substratum soils are fine and smectitic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; high runoff; moderate to moderately rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon, moderate to moderately slow in the Bt horizon and moderately slow to rapid in the C horizon. The soils are occasionally flooded for very brief periods from December through March. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and 13 inches, (33 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through April and exists in the coarse substratum that occurs at depths of 13 to 33 inches (33 to 84 cm) from the surface.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and watershed. Vegetation is soft chess, filaree, ryegrass, Mediterranean barley, medusahead, clover and yellow starthistle, with blue oak, California buckeye and live oak at higher elevations.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur in corridors of 262Aa (North Valley Alluvium) subsection within the M261Fa (Tuscan Flows) subsection of the M261F (Sierra Nevada Foothills) 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 from Clear Creek and Hayes Creek on the Hamlin Canyon 7 1/2 minute quadrangle.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - zone from 2 to 19 in, (5 to 48 cm)
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 2 in, (0 to 5 cm) (A)
Argillic horizon - zone from 2 to 19 in, (5 to 48 cm) (Bt1 Bt2)
Paralithic contact - 46 in, (117 cm)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 8 to 44 inches, (21 to 113 cm) is dry in all parts from about June to October (about 150 days).