LOCATION CLEONE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, isomesic Typic Hapludults
TYPICAL PEDON: Cleone loamy sand on a west facing nearly level slope of 2 percent under Bishop pine and tanoak at 180 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on September 25, 1985 the soil was dry from 0 to 3 inches and moist below).
A--0 to 2 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loamy sand, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (ph 6.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
E--2 to 3 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) loamy sand, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; extremely acid (pH 4.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
2Bt1--3 to 7 inches; variegated light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and brown (10YR 5/3) moist; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak very fine, fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common thin clay films bridging sand grains; 5 percent hard rounded nodules (2-20mm); very strongly acid (pH 4.7); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2Bt2--7 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; many fine and medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak very fine, fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films lining pores and common thin clay films bridging sand grains; 20 percent hard, rounded nodules (2-40mm) strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
2Bt3--13 to 18 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; many medium and coarse distinct light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films bridging sand grains and few thin clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2Bt4--18 to 28 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; many coarse distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) mottles, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak very fine, fine medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; many thin clay films on faces of peds; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
3Bt5--28 to 40 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; weak very fine, fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common thin clay films bridging sand grains; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick)
4C--40 to 62 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and light gray (10YR 7/2) mottles, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; about 3150 feet south and 1050 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 31, T.18N., R.17W., MDBM, Fort Bragg quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 30 to 45 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 50 to 56 degrees F. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 6 to 9 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 12 and 35 inches is moist in all parts from November 1 to August 1 and is dry in some part from September 1 to October 1 in most years. The particle-size control section is dominated by sandy loam textures with a weighted coverage of 13 percent clay.
The A horizon is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/1, 4/2, 4/3, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3; 7.5YR 3/2. Moist color is 10YR 2/1, 2/2, 3/2, 3/3, 4/1, 4/2; 7.5YR 3/2, 4/2. Clay content ranges from 5 to 12 percent. Reaction is very strongly through moderately acid.
The E horizon is 5Y 5/1, 6/1; 10YR 5/1, 6/1, 7/1; N7/0 or N8/0. Moist color is 5Y 5/1, 5/2; 10YR 5/1 or 6/1. Clay content ranges from 3 to 10 percent. Reaction is extremely acid or very strongly acid.
The Bt horizon is 2.5Y 5/4, 6/4; 10YR 4/3, 5/3, 6/3, 6/4, 7/3 or 7/4. Moist color is 2.5Y 4/4, 5/4; 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 4/6, 5/3, 5/4, 6/6; 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6 or 5/4. Mottle colors are 10YR 6/4, 6/6; 7.5YR 6/4 or 6/6. Moist mottle colors are 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 4/6; 7.5YR 4/4 or 4/6. It is loamy sand, sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand or gravelly sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 8 to 18 percent. Hard nodule content ranges from 0 to 25 percent. Base saturation (sum) ranges from 5 to 35 percent. Reaction is very strongly through moderately acid.
The C horizon is 2.5Y 5/4; 10YR 6/3, 7/3 or 7/4. Moist color is 2.5Y 4/4; 10YR 4/4, 5/3, 5/4 or 6/3. Mottle colors are 2.5Y 7/6, 7/8; 10YR 6/6, 7/2, 7/3, 7/6, 7/8, 8/2 or 8/3. Moist mottle colors are 10YR 4/6, 5/6, 6/2 or 6/3. Mottles with chroma of 2 occur between the depths of 30 and 50 inches and continue to a depth of 60 inches or more. It is loamy sand or sand with 3 to 10 percent clay. Base saturation (sum) ranges from 5 to 35 percent. Some pedons have C horizons that are weakly cemented. Reaction is moderately or slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Cleone soils occur on marine terraces. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 40 to 350 feet. The soil formed in eolian sands. The climate is humid with cool foggy summers and cool moist winters. A strong marine influence limits the diurnal and annual range of temperature. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 40 to 55 inches. Mean January temperature is 48 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 57 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 53 degrees F. Frost-free period ranges from 290 to 330 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cabrillo, Gibney, Harecreek, Heeser, Shinglemill and Tregoning soils. All occur on marine terraces. Cabrillo soils are fine-loamy. Gibney and Shinglemill soils are clayey. Heeser soils lack an argillic horizon and mottling. Tregoning soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to an iron cemented hardpan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. The soil is saturated with water following episodes of heavy rain from December through April. The saturated zone starts between 30 and 50 inches and extends to greater than 60 inches. Surface runoff under bare soil conditions is very slow through medium. Permeability is moderately rapid in the subsoil and rapid in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for homesite development, wildlife habitat and watershed. Cleared areas are used for livestock grazing. Vegetation consists of Bishop pine, tanoak, wax myrtle, huckleberry, salal, manzanita, with traces of Douglas-fir, grand fir and redwood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern coastal California. The series is not extensive. MLRA 4.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, Western Part, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon -- the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A,E)
Argillic horizon -- the zone from 3 to 40 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5)
Many areas mapped as Cleone soils were mapped as Noyo in the Wildland Soils and Associated Vegetation of Mendocino County by the State Cooperative Soil Vegetation Survey 1947-1950.