LOCATION DECHAMBEAU CA

Established Series
Rev. JWK-HVB-ET-MAV
06/2016

DECHAMBEAU SERIES

The Dechambeau series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in mixed alluvium influenced by volcanic ash. Dechambeau soils are on alluvial fans and lakeshore terraces. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Xeric Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Dechambeau gravelly sandy loam, on a southwest facing slope of 6 percent at 2,075 meters elevation. When described on September 27, 1979, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A1--0 to 8 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; common very fine tubular and many fine interstitial pores; 20 percent angular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 cm thick)

A2--8 to 18 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure and massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular and many fine interstitial pores; 20 percent angular gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 18 cm thick)

C1--18 to 43 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine, and common medium and coarse roots; few very fine and fine tubular and many fine interstitial pores; 20 percent angular gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

C2--43 to 64 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and many fine interstitial, and common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse tubular pores; 20 percent angular gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 64 cm thick)

C3--64 to 152 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; many fine interstitial and common very fine, fine and few medium and coarse tubular pores; 25 percent angular gravel, neutral (pH 6.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California. About .75 miles north of poleline road and 50 feet northeast of unimproved dirt road to Conway Ranch; 1,000 feet south and 350 feet west of the NE corner of Sec. 5, T.2N., R.26E., M.D.B.M., Bodie quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 03 minutes 57 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 07 minutes 24 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.0658333 latitude, -119.1233333 longitude.
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RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 8 to 13 degrees C. The soil temperature exceeds 8 degrees C. from about April 15 to November 20 (220 days) and exceeds 5 degrees C. about from April 1 to December 27 (271 days). The soil between the depths of 25 and 76 cm is dry throughout from about May 23 to November 26. It is moist throughout from about February 20 to April 4. Aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric. Soil reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Rock fragment content in the particle size control section ranges from 15 to 20 percent, mainly gravel.

The A horizon color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 7/2 or 7/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2 or 4/3. Textures are loamy sand, sandy loam, gravelly loamy sand, gravelly sandy loam or very gravelly sandy loam. Rock fragment content is 0 to 50 percent.

The C horizon color is 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3 or 6/4 and moist color is 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4. Textures are gravelly loamy sand, gravelly sandy loam or gravelly fine sandy loam. Strata of loamy sand are present in some pedons. Very gravelly substratum phases are recognized with 40 to 60 percent gravel.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Jenness, Lolalita and Luckyrich series. Jenness soils lack gravel in the textural control section. Lolalita soils have a Ck horizon. Luckyrich soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 12 to 15 degrees C. and have bedrock at 100 to 150 cm.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dechambeau soils are on alluvial fans and lakeshore terraces. They formed in mixed alluvium. Elevations are 1,620 to 2,135 meters. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The climate is cool and semiarid. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm. The mean annual temperature is 7 to 12 degrees C. The mean January temperature is about -2 degrees C. The mean July temperature is about 19 degrees C. The frost-free season is 100 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Warrior and Orecart series. Orecart soils are sandy and are on fan terraces. Warrior soils are skeletal and contain cobbles in the subsoil and are on alluvial fans.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Dechambeau soils area used for rangeland, watershed and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is Antelope bitterbrush, Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, and desert needlegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Great Basin Valleys along the eastside of the Sierra Nevada in east-central California. The series is not extensive in MLRA 26 and 29.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Benton-Owens Valley Area, Mono County, California, 1990.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the profile are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 18 cm (A1 and A2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (Part of A1 and A3 and A2 horizons).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.