LOCATION DEADFOOT CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Torriorthentic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Deadfoot very bouldery loamy coarse sand on a 45 percent northwest slope under singleleaf pinyon pine, shrubs and perennial grasses at an elevation of 7,000 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on May 15, 1982, the soil was moist below 3 inches.) The surface is covered with 15 percent boulders.
A1--0 to 3 inches (0 to 8 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very bouldery loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent boulders, 15 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 10 inches (8 to 25 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very bouldery loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine, coarse, and very coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent boulders, 15 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C--10 to 23 inches 25 to 58 cm); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very stony loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent boulders, 20 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual irregular boundary. (10 to 26 inches thick)
Cr--23 inches (58 cm); weathered granodiorite bedrock; can be dug with a spade when moist.
TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California; about 5-1/2 miles southwest of Little Lake and 11 miles southeast of Kennedy Meadows; 200 feet north and 1,650 feet west of the southeast corner of Sec. 28, T. 23 S., R. 37 E., M.D.B.M.; USGS Little Lake, California, Quadrangle; Lat. 35 degrees 53 minutes 43 seconds north, long. 117 degrees 59 minutes 20 seconds west.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: The soil between a depth of 18 inches (46 cm) and the paralithic contact is dry in all parts from late May through November. It is usually moist in some part for about 60 days when the soil temperature is above 39 degrees F (4 degrees C). (late spring). It is moist in all parts for 45 or more consecutive days between December and April, but the soil temperatures are below 39 degrees F. during most of this period.
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 55 degrees F (8 to 13 degrees C.).
Coarse fragments: 35 to 60 percent boulders, stones, cobbles and gravel.
Depth to bedrock: 20 to 40 inches (paralithic contact).
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 dry; 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; moist or dry
Clay: 3 to 10 percent
Organic matter: 1 to 2 percent
C horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Clay: 3 to 10 percent
Organic matter: less than 1 percent
Some area have an O horizon about 1 inch thick.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brockliss, Linhart and Motskell(T) series. These soils are all very deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Deadfoot soils are on slopes of mountains and hills at elevations of 6,000 to 7,600 feet (1830 to 2315 meters). Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. The soils are formed in material weathered from granitic bedrock. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches 250 to 300 mm), mostly as winter snows and rain. Mean annual snowfall is 50 to 75 inches (1270 to 1905 mm). The mean January temperature is about 33 degrees F. (0.6 degrees C); the mean July temperature is about 66 degrees F.(19 degrees C); mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. (7 to 10 degrees C.) The frost free season is 75 to 140 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canebrake(T) and Scodie(T) soils. Canebrake soils are shallow, lack a mollic epipedon and contain less than 35 percent rock fragments. Scodie soils are shallow and contain less than 35 percent rock fragments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; rapid to very rapid runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly singleleaf pinyon pine, big sagebrush, pine bluegrass, green Mormon-tea, desert needlegrass and western juniper and annual forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The soils are of small extent. MLRA is 29.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tulare County, California. Kern County, Northeastern Part and Southeastern Part of Tulare County Soil Survey Area, 1995. The name is from Deadfoot Canyon.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: the zone from 0 to 10 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Skeletal particle size control section: the zone from 10 to 23 inches.