LOCATION DALVORD                 CA

Established Series
Rev: CAH/PBF/ET
04/2015

DALVORD SERIES

The Dalvord series consists of very shallow and shallow to bedrock, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from granitoid or gneissic sources. Dalvord soils are on mountains, hills, and pediments. Slopes range from 8 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 138 millimeters (5.5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 16.5 degrees C (61.5 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Lithic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Dalvord extremely stony sandy loam on a west northwest-facing, linear 32 percent slope under desert shrubs at an elevation of 833 meters (2,732 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with approximately 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 45 percent stones and boulders.

A1 -- 0 to 2 centimeters (0 to 1 inch); pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely stony sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thin platy parting to weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots throughout; common tubular pores throughout; 35 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones and boulders; violently effervescent (calcium carbonate equivalent of 1 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary.

A2 -- 2 to 15 centimeters (1 to 6 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky parting to moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots in cracks; few fine tubular pores throughout; 35 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 2 to 35 centimeters).

R -- 15 to 152 centimeters (6 to 60 inches); unweathered, fractured granitoid bedrock with pockets of weathered bedrock material of moderate to high excavation difficulty.

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 396 meters (1,300 feet) west and 450 meters (1,476 feet) south of the NE corner of section 2, T. 12 N., R. 2 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 35 degrees, 10 minutes, and 01 seconds north latitude, and 116 degrees, 44 minutes, and 08 seconds west longitude,; USGS Langford Well, CA 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle. UTM 11S, 0524120e 3891391n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some part for short
periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative
between July and September following convection storms. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 15 to 22 degrees C (59 to 72 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 60 to 95 percent; with 5 to 85 percent gravel, 0
to 25 percent cobbles and 0 to 50 percent stones.

Control section
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Clay: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: averages 40 to 85 percent; with 40 to 85 percent gravel, 0
to 40 percent cobbles and 0 to 30 percent stones.
Depth to bedrock: 8 to 36 centimeters (3 to 14 inches).

C horizon (when present)
80 to 95 percent; with 30 to 75 percent gravel, 13 to 20 percent
cobbles, 2 to 20 percent stones and 0 to 10 percent boulders.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 to 7, dry and 3 to 6, moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 85 percent; with 15 to 85 percent gravel, 0 to 40
percent cobbles and 0 to 30 percent stones.

Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bt, Bk and C horizons (when present)
Value: 5 to 7, dry and 3 to 6, moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sandy loam, sandy loam or fine sandy
loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 85 percent; with 5 to 85 percent gravel, 0 to 25
percent cobbles and 0 to 30 percent stones.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
Other features: 0 to 15 percent calcium carbonate coats on bottom of
rock fragments and 0 to 5 percent clay films on rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Akela (NM+AZ), Beach (TX), Galehills (NV), Haleburu (CA+NV), Hindu (AZ), Hulda (AZ), Noble Pass (CA), Paintrocks (CA), Pearce (AZ), Razorback (AZ), Tecopa (CA+NV) and Upspring (CA+NV) series. Akela soils formed in calcareous material from basaltic alluvium and rhyolitic tuff and Beach soils formed from fine grained metamorphic sandstone and have an A horizon with hues of 2.5YR or 5YR. In addition, both Akela and Beach soils have a soil moisture control section that is moist in some part for more than 20 days cumulative between June and September. Galehills soils are formed in sandstone conglomerate parent material and have 10 to 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in Bk horizons. Haleburu soils are derived from volcanic rock and are strongly alkaline in the subsoil. Hindu soils form from limestone or calcareous sedimentary rocks. Hindu soils have an average calcium carbonate equivalent of 20 to 35 percent above the bedrock. In addition, Hindu and Hulda soils receive average annual precipitation of more than 200 millimeters and have a soil moisture control section that is moist in some part for more than 20 days cumulative between June and September. Noble Pass soils formed in rhyolitic parent material. Paintrocks soils are less than 8 centimeters to a lithic or paralithic contact. Pearce soils formed in limestone parent material and Razorback soils formed from volcanic rock sources. Pearce soils have a calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 to 35 percent throughout the particle-size control section. In addition, Pearce and Razorback soils receive average annual precipitation of more than 200 millimeters. Tecopa soils are derived from mixed metamorphic and igneous rocks such as schist, gneiss, and quartzite and Upspring soils are derived from basic igneous rocks with some pyroclastic material. In addition, Tecopa and Upspring soils do not receive substantial precipitation during the summer months.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Dalvord soils are on mountains, hills, and pediments. Slopes range from 8 to 75 percent. The soils formed in colluvium and residuum from granitoid and gneissic rocks. Elevations range from 579 to 1,555 meters (1,900 to 5,100 feet). The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 175 millimeters (4 to 7 inches). The mean annual air temperature is 13 to 20 degrees C (55.5 to 68 degrees F). The frost-free season is 210 to 320 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Etinarg, Goldroad, and Langwell soils. Etinarg soils are found on similar landscape positions at higher elevations, have an argillic horizon and have a mesic soil temperature regime. Goldroad soils are on adjacent south-facing slopes at lower elevations and have a hyperthermic soil temperature regime. Langwell soils are found on similar landscape positions and have loamy particle-size control sections.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; low to very high runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity above the bedrock and moderately high saturated conductivity in the upper part of the bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: Dalvord soils are used for military exercises, recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is creosote bush, burrobush, Anderson wolfberry, and range ratany.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, May 2000. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 15 centimeters (A1 and A2
horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth 0 to 15 centimeters (A1 and
A2 horizons).
Lithic contact - the zone beginning at 15 centimeters (R horizon).

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.