LOCATION CYMRIC CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Xeric Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cymric loam-on a slope of 10 percent under red brome, soft chess and red stem filaree at 1,450 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on (4/29/77) the soil was dry to a depth of 61 inches.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; violently effervescent, disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A2--5 to 15 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles; violently effervescent, disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bkqm--15 to 21 inches; white (10YR 8/2) indurated silica-lime cemented duripan, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; extremely hard, upper 1/2 inch of duripan consists of very pale brown (10YR 7/3) laminar layer or opalized band, .5 to 2mm thick with fine roots matted on surface of the layer; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
Ck--21 to 61 inches; white (10YR 8/2) sandy loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) moist; moderate medium platy structure; weakly cemented, hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent pebbles; violently effervescent, lime segregated in seams and common medium concretions; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; 15 1/2 miles west of Buttonwillow and about 1,450 feet south and 910 feet W. from the NE corner of section 25, T.29 S., R.20 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the duripan is 8 to 20 inches. The soils receive intermittent moisture from mid-November to mid-April; about 6 out of 10 years, they are never moist in some part between a depth of 8 inches and the duripan for 90 consecutive days. Rock fragments range in size from 2mm to 10mm and range from 10 to 15 percent by volume. Organic carbon content in the upper 16 inches ranges from 1 to 1.5 percent.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 7/2, 7/3 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/3. It is loam or sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 10 to 25 percent.
The C1sicam horizon, or the silica-lime cemented duripan is as thin as 0.5 to 4mm consisting of a very distinct, hard opalized band with dry color of 10YR 7/3, 8/1, 8/2, 8/3. Cementation of the duripan is not destroyed by soaking in concentrated HCL for 24 hours.
The C2ca horizon is a weakly cemented sandy loam or loamy sand, with similar colors. Gravel content ranges from 10 to 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alko, Muroc, Nebona, and Stewart series in other families. All these soils have organic carbon contents of less than 1 percent.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cymric soils are on stream terraces. Slopes are 5 to 30 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from sedimentary rock sources. Elevations are 1,000 to 1,600 feet. The climate is semiarid with hot dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 6 to 9 inches. Mean January temperature is 42 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 75 degrees F. Mean annual temperature is 60 degrees F. Frost-free season is 200 to 225 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bitterwater (T), Kimberlina, Kettleman, and Panoche series. Bitterwater, Kimberlina, Kettleman, and Panoche soils do not have an indurated silica-lime cemented duripan and an aridic moisture regime that borders on Xeric.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability in the soil and restricted permeability in the duripan.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used as rangeland, and for watersheds, or as wildlife habitat. Oil wells are a common feature on this soil. Vegetation is mainly red stem filaree and red brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: High terraces in the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. Series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County, Northwestern Part, California, 1982.
REMARKS: Series reclassified on September, 1994. Competing series not reviewed at that time.
The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET