LOCATION CARLOTTA CA

Established Series
Rev. FWH/FFH/JPS/ET
07/2016

CARLOTTA SERIES

The Carlotta series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Carlotta soils are on fluvial terraces. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1780 millimeters (70 inches) and mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, isotic, mesic Oxyaquic Humudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Carlotta loam - on a uniform, south facing slope of 1 percent under sweet vernal grass, ryegrass, velvet grass, tall fescue, plantain and creeping buttercup at 4 meters (13 feet elevation). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described May 31, 2007, the soil was moist to 78 centimeters and wet, water table present, 78 to 152 centimeters).

Ap1--0 to 23 centimeters (0 to 9 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine and common medium roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular pores and very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary.

Ap2--23 to 33 centimeters (9 to 13 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine tubular and very fine and fine irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Ap horizons is 30 to 40 centimeters)

BA--33 to 60 centimeters (13 to 24 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine tubular and very fine and fine irregular pores; 1 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 centimeters thick)

Bw1--60 to 85 centimeters (24 to 34 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine and fine irregular pores; common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 1 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--85 to 110 centimeters (34 to 43 inches); olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) loam, pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular and fine and medium tubular pores; common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix and fine and medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary.

Bw3--110 to 130 centimeters (43 to 51 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and irregular pores; many fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix and fine and medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 45 to 90 centimeters)

BC--130 to 152 centimeters (51 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/4) dry; massive; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine irregular pores; many fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix and common fine and medium distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions in the matrix; 1 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0). (0 to 25 centimeters thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Del Norte County, California; located approximately 50 meters south of Kellog Road; HBLM, USGS Crescent City Quadrangle; WGS84 Decimal degrees 41.8688889 latitude; and -123.1913889 longitude; UTM Zone 10 401135mE 4635920mN; NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 12 to 15 degrees C (54 to 59 degrees F). The difference between the mean winter and mean summer soil temperatures varies from 6 to 9 degrees C. The soils are usually moist and are dry for less than 45 consecutive days in all parts between depths of 10 to 30 centimeters (4 and 12 inches) in the four months following the summer solstice.

Umbric epipedon is 30 to 100 centimeters (12 to 39 inches) thick.

Depth to Redoximorphic features: 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)

The particle-size control section (weighted average)

Rock fragments: 0 to 7 percent
Clay content: 20 to 32 percent

A or Ap horizon

Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry and 1 through 3 moist.

Texture of fine earth: loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 7 percent
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent.
Reaction: very strongly to moderately acid.

Bw horizon

Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6 dry and 2 through 4 moist.

Texture of fine earth: loam, silty clay loam or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
Clay content: 20 to 40 percent.
Reaction: very strongly to moderately acid.

Redoximorphic features: fine or medium masses of iron accumulation
Quantity: few, common, or many
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 3 through 6
Chroma: 4 through 8

Redoximorphic features: fine or medium iron depletions
Quantity: few, common or many
Value: 3 through 6
Chroma: 1 or 2

Redoximorphic features in BA horizon are likely a result of liquid manure applications and compaction by cattle.

Some pedons have C horizons.

C horizon

Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6 dry and 2 through 4 moist.

Texture of fine earth: loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 45 percent and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Pararock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
Clay content: 20 to 40 percent.
Reaction: very strongly to slightly acid.

Redoximorphic features: fine or medium masses of iron accumulation
Quantity: few, common, or many
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 3 through 6
Chroma: 4 through 8

Redoximorphic features: fine or medium iron depletions
Quantity: few, common or many
Value: 3 through 6
Chroma: 1 or 2

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Horeb series. Horeb soils have a frost-free period of less than 165 days.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Carlotta soils are on fluvial terraces. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Elevations are 3 to 32 meters (10 to 105 feet). The climate is humid, characterized by warm wet winters and warm moist summers with fog. A strong marine influence limits the diurnal and annual range of temperature. The mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). The mean annual precipitation is 1520 to 2030 millimeters (60 to 80 inches). The frost-free period is 275 to 325 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ferndale, Tsunami, and Weott soils. Ferndale soils are fine-silty. Tsunami soils do not have redoximorphic features in the upper 100 centimeters. Weott soils have redoximorphic feature within 10 centimeters of the soil surface. Ferndale soils are on nearby low floodplain steps. Tillas soils are higher up on fluvial terraces. Weott soils are on floodplains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Moderately well drained; low runoff; moderately low to high saturated hydraulic conductivity; flooding rare.

USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used mainly for pasture. Native vegetation is redwood, grand fir, Sitka spruce, California laurel, red alder, willow, bigleaf maple, and salmonberry.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal Redwood Belts; MLRA 4B. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: January 2013. Proposed 1964 -- Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, California.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Umbric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 60 centimeters.
2. Cambic horizon - the zone from 60 to 130 centimeters.
3. Particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 100 centimeters, averages 26 percent clay, 27 percent fine sand or coarser, by weight, and 1 percent rock fragments by volume (Ap2, BA, Bw1, Bw2 horizons)
4. Oxyaquic Humudepts - seasonal water table, aquic conditions for more than 30 days in most years within the zone from 60 to 152 centimeters (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, BC horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA:

Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edition

NSSL, Lincoln Lab sample: 08N0239

NASIS User Pedon ID: 07CA605244

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.