LOCATION CUYAMACA CA

Tentative Series
Rev. TCM/RLR
07/2022

CUYAMACA SERIES

The Cuyamaca series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from quartz diorite and other igneous sources. Cuyamaca soils are on stream terraces and alluvial fans and have slopes of 5 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 720 millimeters and the mean annual air temperature is about 13 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Cuyamaca soils in an area of Cuyamaca sandy loam on a slope of 4 percent facing east at an elevation of 1250 meters under a cover of annual grasses and forbs. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A1--0 to 27 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1), moist; weak medium subangular block structure parting to moderate medium granular structure; very friable, soft, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots; common fine and very fine tubular interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

A2--27 to 51 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) fine sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1), moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, nonsticky, nonplastic; very few very fine roots; common medium and fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

A3--51 to 98 centimeters; very dark grayish broth (10YR 3/2) fine sandy loam, black (10YR 3/1), moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very friable, slightly hard, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common medium tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (20 to 50 cm thick)

C1--98 to 125 centimeters; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) coarse sand, very dark gray (10YR 3/1), moist; single grain structure; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary.

C2--125 to 145 centimeters; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), moist; single grain structure; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary.

C3--145 to 160 centimeters; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), moist; single grain structure; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; neutral (pH 6.8)

TYPE LOCATION: San Diego County, California; approximately 500 meters west of Highway 79 and 440 meters south of Camp Cuyamaca in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, about 300 meters west and 280 meters north of the northwest corner of section 11, T15S, R04E; 32.9221667 degrees latitude, -116.5612222 degrees longitude WGS84; UTM Zone 11, 3642743n, 541024e. U.S.G.S Quad Name: Cuyamaca Peak, California

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 13 degrees C.
Soil moisture: Usually dry in all parts from late May or early June until late November or early December, and usually moist in some or all parts the rest of the year.

Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel throughout
Reaction: slightly acid to neutral throughout.
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent by average in the particle-size control section.

A horizons:
Dry color: 10YR 4/1, 3/1, 3/2, 2/1 or 2.5Y 2.5/1
Moist color: 10YR 2/1, 3/1, 3/2, 2/2 or 2.5Y 2.5/1
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent

C horizons
Dry color: 10YR or 2.5Y 6/2, 5/2, 4/2, 4/4
Moist color: 10YR or 2.5Y 4/2, 3/2, 4/4
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sand, sand; some pedons have stratified lenses of sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 4 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent gravel

COMPETING SERIES:
Coxlake soils: are somewhat poorly drained with redoximorphic features from 75 centimeters to 150 centimeters
Deerspring soils: are slightly to strongly alkaline and have disseminated lime in the C horizons
Endersby soils: are slightly to moderately alkaline below the A horizons
Evans soils: have greater than 8 percent clay in the C horizons
Lapwai soils: have secondary carbonates from 80 to 150 centimeters
Leavenworth soils: have less than 10 percent clay in the particle control section
Narcisse soils: have redoximorphic features from 50 to 150 centimeters
Okanogan soils: have neutral to moderately alkaline reaction in the C horizon
Patit Creek soils: have greater than 15 percent fragments in the C horizon
Pleasant View soils: are calcareous in the C horizons
Plinco soils: have greater than 15 percent fragments throughout
Porter soils: have 10 to 35 percent fragments in the C horizon
Poween soils: are moderately to strongly alkaline throughout
Redola soils: are slightly to moderately alkaline throughout
Threecreeks soils: have 15 to 18 percent clay in the particle size control section
Tombeall soils: are somewhat poorly drained and have redoximorphic features from 25 to 150 centimeters
San Carlos soils: greater than 20 percent clay in the A horizons
Shefflein soils: 15 to 40 percent coarse or very coarse sand in the particle control section
Vannoy soils: 50 to 100 centimeters to a paralithic contact of metamorphosed bedrock

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: coastal plains and valleys and canyons
Landform: stream terraces and alluvial fans
Parent Material: alluvium from quartz diorite and other intrusive igneous rocks
Slope: 5 to 15 percent slopes
Elevation: 1160 to 1540 meters
Mean annual precipitation: 670 to 810 mm
Mean January temperature: 6 degrees C.
Mean July temperature: 22 degrees C.
Mean annual temperature: 12.0 to 13.8 degrees C.
Frost-free season: 180 to 200 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Bancas soils: 50 to 100 centimeters to a paralithic contact of igneous rock
Crouch soils: less than 18 percent clay in the particle control section
Tollhouse soils: 25 to 50 centimeters to a paralithic contact of diorite
Cieneba soils: 25 to 50 centimeters to a lithic contact of diorite
Holland soils: greater than 150 centimeters to a lithic contact

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderate to moderately slow saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife and recreation. Native vegetation is chamise, ceanothus, mountain mahogany, coffeeberry, California buckwheat, yucca, and white sage.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern California Coastal Plains and Mountains, MLRA 19. This soil is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Diego County, California 2022.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 98 cm
Particle-size control section: the zone from 25 to 100 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:

NASIS User Site/Pedon ID: 2020CA073052

Classified using the Twelfth Edition Keys to Soil Taxonomy (2014)

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.