LOCATION CROUCH CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Crouch coarse sandy loam, open wooded pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
A2--3 to 13 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
A3--13 to 29 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium roots; common fine tubular pores; burrows filled with soil of the overlying horizon; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
B1--29 to 42 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots; few fine tubular pores; clay in bridges between mineral grains; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 14 inches thick)
B2--42 to 56 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few coarse roots; common medium tubular pores; clay in bridges between mineral grains; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual smooth boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)
Cr--56 to 88 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) weathered grandiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: San Diego County, California; about 2 miles northeast of Julian, California; approximately 500 feet south of N1/4 corner section 29, T.12 S., R.4 E. 33 degrees North latitude, 6 minutes, 18 seconds; 116 degrees West longitude, 35 minutes, 18 seconds; UTM zone 11 538402e 3662998n NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact is 40 to 80 inches. The solum is 40 to 65 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is about 55 degrees F. Soil between depths of 8 and 24 inches usually is moist in some part from about November 15 to late May and is continuously dry the rest of the time. Organic matter content is 1 to 3 percent to a depth of more than 10 inches, decreases regularly, and is less than 1 percent at a depth of 20 inches. Base saturation is 60 to 75 percent throughout the profile. Rock fragments, mostly as fine gravel, make up less than 15 percent of the profile.
The A horizon is brown, dark brown, grayish brown, dark grayish brown or very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/3, 4/3, 5/3, 3/2, 4/2, 5/2). It is sandy loam or coarse sandy loam and is slightly or medium acid. This horizon has weak, granular or subangular blocky structure or is massive and is soft or slightly hard when dry.
The B2 horizon is light yellowish brown, yellowish brown, dark yellowish brown or pale brown (10YR 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 6/3). It is loam, sandy loam or coarse sandy loam and has less than 18 percent clay. This horizon is massive or it has weak angular or subangular blocky structure. It is slightly or medium acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Catelli (t), Spokane and Wind River series. Catelli and Spokane soils are underlain by weathered rock at depths of less than 40 inches. Wind River soils are underlain by coarse textured material and have a mean annual soil temperature of 50 to 54 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crouch soils are on mountainous uplands. They formed in material weathered from igneous (granitic) rocks. Elevations are 3,000 to 8,000 feet. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. The climate is subhumid mesothermal with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches, about 1/2 falling as snow. The average January temperature is about 40 degrees F.; the average July temperature is about 70 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is about 53 degrees F. The average frost free season is 135 to 225 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crafton, Sheephead and Tollhouse soils. Crafton soils have a base saturation of more than 75 percent throughout the profile, and have weathered bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Sheephead and Tollhouse soils are underlain by weathered bedrock at depths of less than 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland or watershed. Wooded areas in favorable locations are used for recreation. Vegetation is mainly annual grasses and forbs with open stands of timber at higher elevations.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mountains of southern California. The soils are moderately extensive in MLRA 20.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Diego County, California, 1973.
REMARKS: The original concept has been narrowed to exclude soils with a paralithic contact at depths of less than 40 inches.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Pedons: S61CA-073-006 (type location); S60CA-073-005 and S61CA-073-003 for range in characteristics; S61CA-073-005, S61CA-073-006 and S61CA-073-007 (taxadjuncts).
Edits made to longitude and UTM 2/2009 - ET. Previous date of OSD 3/97