LOCATION CRAIGSADDLE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, thermic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Craigsaddle coarse sandy loam, on a southwest facing 7 percent slope under a cover of hardwoods, conifers and shrubs at an elevation of 980 feet, (299 m). When described on 11/18/1998 the soil was slightly moist to a depth of 21 inches, (53 cm) and dry from 21 to 80 inches, (53 to 203 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 5 inches, (0 to 13 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 6 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky parting to single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots and common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches, (5 to 13 cm) thick)
Bw1--5 to 11 inches, (13 to 28 cm); light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 10 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky parting to single grain; loose, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots and few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 2 percent gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.4 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bw2--11 to 17 inches, (28 to 43 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; 10 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and coarse roots and many medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary.
Bw3--17 to 21 inches, (43 to 53 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; 12 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 percent discontinuous faint clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 9 to 32 inches, (23 to 81 cm) thick).
Bt1--21 to 31 inches, (53 to 79 cm); pink (7.5YR 7/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; 19 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard when dry, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.7 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--31 to 51 inches, (79 to 130 cm); reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist; 20 percent clay; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 30 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 10 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.8 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 9 to 32 inches, (23 to 81 cm) thick).
BCt--51 to 58 inches, (130 to 147 cm); pink (7.5YR 8/3) gravelly sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; 14 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard when dry, firm, nonsticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent discontinuous prominent clay films on faces of peds; 1 percent mica flakes; 25 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 7 inches, (0 to 18 cm) thick)
Cdt--58 to 80 inches, (147 to 203 cm); weathered densic trondhjemite bedrock; pink (7.5YR 8/4) gravelly sandy loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; 12 percent clay; massive; very hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent discontinuous prominent clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent mica flakes; 25 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 2.5 miles east of Bidwell Bar Bridge, approximately 2150 feet east and 2000 feet north of the southwest corner of Section 35, Township 20 N., Range 5 E., 39 degrees, 32 minutes, 49 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 22 minutes, 58 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S. Quad: Oroville Dam, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to densic bedrock is 40 to 60 inches, (102 to 152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F, (15 to 18 degrees C). The particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay and 5 to 10 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 2.5 percent to a depth of 5 inches, (13 cm) and is less than 1 percent from 5 to 80 inches, (13 to 203 cm). Base saturation by sum of cations is less than 75 percent throughout. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 10 percent gravel. Some pedons lack a BCt horizon. Some pedons have a O horizon at the surface.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 5/2, 6/2 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3 or 4/3. Texture is coarse sandy loam or sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 5 to 10 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 10 percent fine gravel. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bw horizon dry color is 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 7/2 or 7/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/3, 5/4 or 7.5YR 5/4. Texture is sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 8 to 12 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 30 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 6/4, 6/6, 7/4, 7/6, 5YR 6/4 or 10YR 7/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 4/6, 5/4, 5/6, 6/4, 5YR 4/6, 5/6 or 10YR 5/4. Texture is sandy loam, sandy clay loam, gravelly sandy loam or gravelly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 27 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 30 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The BCt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 7/4, 8/3 or 5YR 6/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 5/6, 6/4 or 2.5YR 4/8. Texture is gravelly sandy loam or sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 13 to 25 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 25 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Cdt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 6/4, 8/4 or 10YR 7/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 5/4 or 6/4. Texture is gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 12 to 23 percent. Rock fragments range from 20 to 50 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Coombs, Flanly, Sierra, Verjeles and Yellowlark series. Coombs soils are very deep and have 28 to 35 percent clay in the Bt horizon. Flanly soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact of granodiorite. Sierra soils have a paralithic contact at 40 to 80 inches, (102 to 203 cm) and have 27 to 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Verjeles soils are moderately deep to bedrock and have a 2Bt horizon with 40 to 60 percent clay. Yellowlark soils are formed in alluvium and are deep to a duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Craigsaddle soils are on ridge tops and side slopes on granitic Sierra Nevada foothills. Slopes are 2 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from trondhjemite. Elevation is 900 to 2000 feet, (274 to 610 m). Mean annual precipitation is 40 to 55 inches, (1016 to 1397 mm). The mean annual temperature is 56 to 60 degrees F, (13 to 16 degrees C). Frost-free season is 230 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crystalhill, Dunstone, Loafercreek and Oregongulch soils. Crystalhill soils are coarse-loamy. Dunstone soils are shallow to paralithic contact of greenschist and are loamy. Loafercreek soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact of greenschist. Oregongulch soils are moderately deep to densic bedrock and are coarse-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low to low runoff; moderately rapid to rapid saturated hydraulic in the A horizon, moderately rapid in the Bw horizon, moderate to moderately rapid in the Bt horizon, moderate in the BCt horizon and very slow in the Cdt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for home site development, recreation, wildlife habitat and watershed. Vegetation is wild oat, cheatgrass, flatspine stickweed, California buckthorn, whiteleaf manzanita, honeysuckle, brackenfern, hedgehog dogstail, chaparral coffeeberry, toyon, Pacific poison oak, interior and canyon live oak, Pacific madrone, and scattered ponderosa pine, foothill pine, incense cedar and California black oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur in the (M261Fb) Lower Foothills Metamorphic Belt subsection of the (M261F) Sierra Nevada Foothills section. MLRA: 18 - Sierra Nevada Foothills. The soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from Craig Saddle Campground on the Oroville Dam Quad.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 5 inches, (0 to 13 cm) (A)
Argillic horizon - zone from 21 to 58 inches, (53 to 147 cm) (Bt1, Bt2, BCt)
Densic contact - zone from 58 to 80 inches, (147 to 203 cm) (Crt)
Particle-size control section for this pedon: 21 to 41 in. (53 to 104 cm)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 10 to 28 inches, (25 to 71 cm) is dry in all parts from about May to October (about 150 days).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference data from lab pedon number: 01N0269, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.