LOCATION CRIMEAHOUSE             CA

Established Series
MJE/JBB/TKK/JW
10/2018

CRIMEAHOUSE SERIES

The Crimeahouse series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium over residuum weathered from serpentinite. The Crimeahouse soils are on hills. Slopes range from 10 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 610 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 16 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, magnesic, thermic Mollic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Crimeahouse very gravelly loam on a west facing, convex, 12 percent slope under buckbrush, chamise, and foothill pine at an elevation of 335 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on March 24th, 2009 the soil was moist throughout.)

A--0 to 8 cm; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; 20 percent clay; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 30 percent indurated serpentinite gravel, 5 percent subangular indurated serpentinite cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

Bt1--8 to 30 cm; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; 28 percent clay; strong medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 3 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 40 percent subangular indurated serpentinite gravel, 10 percent subangular indurated serpentinite cobbles; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--30 to 45 cm; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) very cobbly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; 36 percent clay; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; 10 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and 50 percent prominent clay films on all faces of peds; 25 percent subangular indurated serpentinite gravel, 20 percent subangular indurated serpentinite cobbles, 2 percent subangular indurated serpentinite stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary.

Bt3--45 to 82 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) extremely cobbly sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 32 percent clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots throughout; 10 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and 30 percent prominent clay films on all faces of peds; 30 percent subangular indurated serpentinite gravel, 30 percent subangular indurated serpentinite cobbles, 2 percent subangular indurated serpentinite stones; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 30 to 75 cm.)

R--82 to 200 cm; indurated serpentinite bedrock, fractured at intervals of 45 to <100 cm; few fine roots in cracks.

TYPE LOCATION: Tuolumne County, California, in the Red Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern, about 2.4 km (1.5 miles) southwest of Yosemite Junction, south of State Highway 108, USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Keystone, California; WGS84 37.871666 latitude and -120.500000 longitude; UTM zone 10 4194521 meters N 719885 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 16 to 18 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a thermic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to October (about 180 days). The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 5 to 20 cm
Argillic horizon thickness: 30 to 75 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm.

Organic carbon in the epipedon: 0.7 to 5 percent

Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline (5.6 to 8.2)

Base saturation: greater than 75 percent in the upper 75 cm of the argillic horizon (by sum of cations)

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent, with 15 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 60 percent cobbles, and 0 to 35 percent stones.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, silt loam
Clay content: 10 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 45 percent
5 to 45 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent cobbles
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

Upper Bt horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 3 or 4, moist or dry
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 75 percent
10 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 45 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

Lower Bt horizons
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, clay
Clay content: 25 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 30 to 80 percent
15 to 70 percent gravel
0 to 60 percent cobbles
0 to 35 percent stones
Reaction: moderately acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Idriapeak (MLRA 15) series. Idriapeak soils are on mountain slopes at elevations of 794 to 1,598 meters and a frost-free period of 150 to 200 days. Because of the higher elevation and shorter growing season, they are likely to have a soil moisture control section that is dry in all parts from June to October.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Crimeahouse soils are on backslopes and footslopes of hills. Slopes range from 10 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium over residuum weathered from serpentinite. Elevation is 200 to 650 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 550 to 850 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 15 to 17 degrees C. The frost free season is 230 to 330 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fancher and Sixbit soils. The Fancher soils have greater than 35 percent clay and less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section, and occur on footslopes and backslopes. Sixbit soils have a lithic contact within 50 cm and occur on shoulders, backslopes, and footslopes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity from 0 to 45 cm and moderately low to moderately high from 45 to 82 cm. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is moderately low to high.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed, and homesite development. Vegetation is buckbrush, foothill pine, chamise, and serpentine-endemic forbs such as rawhide hill onion, red hills soap plant and Hartweg's doll's-lily.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Foothills in California; MLRA 18. The series is not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Tuolumne County, California. Source of name is from a historic ranch named Crimea House.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 8 cm
Argillic Horizon 8 to 82 cm
Lithic Contact 82 cm
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 8 to 58 cm.

Magnesic minerology: The fraction of Mg silicate minerals is inferred to be greater than 40% by mass in the control section fine earth fraction based on laboratory data collected from geographically-associated serpentine soils. Chlorite, talc and serpentine-subgroup clays (e.g. chrysotile, antigorite, lizardite) are strongly represented in the clay fractions. Sand fractions have substantial amounts of serpentine or mafic minerals (pyroxene, hornblende, and iron oxides) that are associated with the serpentinization process. KSSL certified lab pedons: S09CA109001, S09CA109002, S09CA109004, S2007CA109002.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
NASIS User Pedon ID: S09CA109001
Pedon Type: OSD pedon
Pedon Purpose: laboratory sampling site
Lab Source ID: SSL
Lab Pedon #: 09N0868

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.