LOCATION CRYSTALHILL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, thermic Typic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Crystalhill gravelly coarse sandy loam, on a northwest facing 45 percent slope under a cover of shrubs, hardwoods and conifers at an elevation of 1740 feet, (530 m). When described on 7/17/2001 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); slightly decomposed plant material; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--2 to 7 inches, (5 to 18 cm); light gray (10YR 7/2) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 5 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches, (8 to 23 cm) thick)
Bw1--7 to 14 inches, (18 to 36 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 8 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--14 to 22 inches, (36 to 56 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 8 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw3--22 to 33 inches, (56 to 84 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 10 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.8 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bw4--33 to 44 inches, (84 to 112 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 8 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizon is 13 to 61 inches, (33 to 155 cm) thick)
BC--44 to 66 inches, (112 to 168 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 5 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 54 inches, (23 to 137 cm) thick)
Cdt--66 inches, (168 cm); weathered densic trondhjemite bedrock; 20 percent continuous prominent clay films in cracks.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 2.7 miles southwest of Featherfalls, approximately 600 feet west and 10 feet north of the southeast corner of Section 27, Township 20 N., Range 6 E., 39 degrees, 33 minutes, 24 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 16 minutes, 50 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S. Quad: Forbestown, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to densic bedrock is 60 to 80 inches, (152 to 203 cm) or more. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F, (15 to 18 degrees C). The particle-size control section averages 8 to 18 percent and 20 to 30 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 2.5 percent to a depth of 7 inches, (18 cm) and is less than 1 percent to a depth of 66 inches, (168 cm). Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 10 percent gravel.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 5/2, 6/2, 7/2 or 2.5Y 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 4/2, 4/3 or 5/3. Texture is gravelly coarse sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 5 to 8 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 25 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to slightly acid.
The Bw horizon dry color is 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/3, 7/4, 8/3, 7.5YR 7/4, 2.5Y 5/3 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/4, 5/6, 6/4, 7.5YR 5/4, 2.5Y 5/3 or 5/4. Texture is gravelly coarse sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 5 to 12 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 30 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
The BC horizon dry color is 10YR 7/3, 7/4, 8/2, 8/3, 8/4, 2.5Y 7/3 or 7/4. Moist color is 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 7/4 or 2.5Y 6/4. Texture is sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand, very gravelly loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 1 to 14 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 55 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Oregongulch series. Oregongulch soils are moderately deep to densic bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crystalhill soils are on ridge tops and side slopes on granitic Sierra Nevada foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 70 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium weathered from trondhjemite. Elevation ranges from 900 to 2000 feet, (274 to 610 m) and ranges to 2600 feet (792 m) on southwest aspects. 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 Craigsaddle, Dunstone, Loafercreek and Oregongulch soils. Craigsaddle soils are deep to densic bedrock and are fine-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.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low to low runoff; moderately rapid to rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A, Bw and BC horizons and very slow in the Cdt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for home site development, recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed and limited timber production. Vegetation is whiteleaf manzanita, toyon, ponderosa pine, deer brush, Pacific poison oak, California black oak, Pacific madrone, interior live oak, honeysuckle, bear clover, tanoak, brackenfern, canyon live oak, chapparal coffeeberry, and scattered Douglas-fir, incense cedar and tall Oregon grape.
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 Crystal Hill on the Forbestown Quad.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 2 to 7 inches, (5 to 18 cm) (A)
Cambic horizon - zone from 7 to 44 inches, (18 to 112 cm) (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, Bw4)
Densic contact - 66 inches, (168 cm)
Particle-size control section for this pedon: 10 to 40 inches, (25 to 102 cm)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 14 to 36 inches, (36 to 91 cm) is dry in all parts from about May to October (about 150 days).
Assume that Base saturation is greater than 75 percent.