LOCATION CUDDEBACK CA

Established Series
Rev. GAW/JWF/JJJ
04/2015

CUDDEBACK SERIES

The Cuddeback series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from mixed sources. Cuddeback soils are on old terraces and alluvial fans and have slopes of 2 to 9 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 63 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Cuddeback sandy loam, on a southwest facing convex slope of 4 percent under a desert shrub vegetation at 3,600 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described the soil was dry throughout.) The soil surface has a fairly well developed varnished desert pavement and some cobbles mixed with overwash of granitic and limestone gravel.

A--0 to 3 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thin and medium platy structure, lower 1 inch moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine vesicular pores; about 5 percent (1/4 to 3/4 inch) pebbles; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches thick)

Bt1--3 to 6 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; many thin clay films as bridges between mineral grains and in pores; about 5 percent (1/2 to 1 inch) pebbles; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)

Bt2--6 to 17 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; few moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and many moderately thick clay films as bridges between mineral grains and in pores; about 20 percent pebbles (1/4 to 3/4 inch), 3 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)

Bt3--17 to 27 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly sandy loam near gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores and common very fine tubular pores; many thin clay films as bridges between mineral grains and in pores; about 20 percent pebbles (1/2 to 1 1/2 inch); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

CBt--27 to 34 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; common thin clay films in bridges between mineral grains; about 10 percent pebbles (1/2 to 3/4 inch); strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; segregated lime occurs as few, fine soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)

Ckqm--34 to 38 inches; massive continuous indurated duripan (cannot be dug with backhoe).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; northwest of Victorville, on power line maintenance road; SE1/4 SW1/4 SW1/4 section 22, T.6 N., R.4 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to the duripan are 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 63 to 67 degrees F. and the soil temperature usually is not below 47 degrees F. at any time. The soil is moist in some part from November to March but is not continuously moist for as long as 60 days. The soil is dry continuously from April through October. The solum is slightly saline. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline throughout. The SAR is 2 to 10.

The A horizon is pale brown, light yellowish brown, or very pale brown (10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/3, 7/4). Moist colors ar brown or yellowish brown (10YR 5/3, 5/4). The A1 horizon underlies the erosion pavement and gravel is well rounded or subangular and is from 3/8 to 5 inches in diameter. It is sandy loam or loamy sand and averages 5 to 10 percent fine gravel.

The B2t horizon is reddish brown or yellowish red (5YR 5/4, 5/6) or infrequently, pink (7.5YR 7/4). Moist colors are reddish brown, yellowish red, reddish yellow (5YR 4/4, 5/6, 6/6) or strong brown (7.5YR 5/6). This horizon is sandy clay loam or gravelly sandy clay loam and averages 18 to 25 percent clay and 10 to 25 percent rock fragments.

The duripan (Csicam) ranges in thickness from about 1 to 15 inches or more. It is indurated and continuous and has 2 or 3 mm opal caps. In pedons where it is thicker and can be dug with a backhoe, it shows laminae or tendency toward plates.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Delamar, Joshua, La Palma and Suncity series in other families. Delamar soils have mesic soil temperature. Joshua soils lack a continuous duripan. La Palma and Suncity soils have hyperthermic soil temperature.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cuddeback soils are on old terraces and alluvial fans and have slopes of 2 to 9 percent. Elevations are 2,200 to 3,000 feet. The gravel pavement ranges from moderately to strongly developed and covers from 40 to 90 percent of the soil surface. The pebbles on the better developed pavements have desert varnish on their exposed surfaces. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and cool partly moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 or 5 inches; most of the moisture falls as rain in the winter. Some moisture falls occasionally as snow. The mean January temperature is 46 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is 84 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 61 to 65 degrees F. The frost free season is 210 to 255 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Joshua soils and the Mirage and Nebona soils. Mirage soils lack a duripan, and are nonsaline alkali. Nebona soils have a duripan at a depth of less than 20 inches and lack an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability above the duripan but very slow in the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for wildlife habitat and recreation. Very sparse stands of creosotebush, yucca species, annual grasses and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Terraces and fans of the Mojave Desert in MLRA 30. The soils are not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Mojave River Area, 1978.

REMARKS: Series relassified on September, 1994. Competing series not reviewed at that time. The activity class was added to the classification in January of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. - ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.