LOCATION DEHY CA

Established Series
Rev. ET-CEJ-JVC-JBF
06/2016

DEHY SERIES

The Dehy series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Dehy soils are on alluvial fans and low stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 150 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 16 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Dehy sandy loam--on a slope of 1 percent at an elevation of 1,265 meters--irrigated pasture. (When described on March 3, 1986, the soil was moist throughout and saturated below 127 cm. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

Ap--0 to 10 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak thin platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A1--10 to 30 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)

A2--30 to 46 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 8 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 20 cm thick)

Bw--46 to 104 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common medium faint strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist, masses of iron accumulation lining pores and root channels; 10 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (46 to 66 cm thick)

C--104 to 152 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very cobbly loamy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; common medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist, masses of iron accumulation lining pores and root channels; 25 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Inyo County, California; about 0.75 mile west of the intersection of U.S. Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 395 in the town of Bishop; 1,000 feet west and 1,500 feet south of the northeast corner of section 1, T. 7 S., R. 32 E.; USGS Bishop 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 22 minutes 19 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 24 minutes 30 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 37.3719444 latitude, -118.4083333 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil between the depths of 20 and 58 cm is dry throughout for 180 to 200 days from about June 15 to December 15. It is moist throughout for 90 to 105 days from about January 15 to April 30 and is moist in some or all parts for 95 to 110 consecutive days from about March 1 to June 15 when the soil is above 8 degrees C.; xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic.

Soil temperature - The mean annual soil temperature is 12 to 14 degrees C. The soil temperature at 51 cm is below 8 degrees C. from about December 16 to February 28 and is seldom below 5 degrees C.

Mollic epipedon thickness - 25 to 41 cm.

Other features - Some pedons have disseminated carbonates in the lower part of the Bw horizon.

The A horizon color is 10YR 3/1, 4/1, 4/2, 5/1, 5/2; or 2.5Y 5/2. Moist color is 10YR 2/1, 3/1, 3/2, 4/2; or 2.5Y 3/2. Textures are loamy sand, sandy loam, or loam. Clay content is 4 to 25 percent. It has 0 to 30 percent gravel. Reaction is strongly acid to neutral. Organic matter content is 2 to 8 percent.

The Bw horizon color is 10YR 4/1, 5/1, 5/2, 5/4, 5/6, 6/2; 2.5Y 5/2 or 6/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/1, 3/2, 4/2, 4/4, 4/6, 5/4; 2.5Y 3/2 or 4/2. Textures are sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam, or gravelly sandy loam. It has 0 to 30 percent coarse fragments with 0 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 2 percent cobbles. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

The C horizon color is 10YR 4/2, 5/1, 6/3, 6/4; 5Y 5/2; 2/5Y 5/2, 6/2 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 4/4, 4/6, 5/3; 5Y 4/1, 5/2, 5/3; 2.5Y 3/2 or 4/2. Textures are loamy sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, gravelly loamy sand, gravelly loamy sand, very cobbly loamy sand, or cobbly sandy loam. It has 0 to 45 percent coarse fragments with 0 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 20 percent cobbles. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Dresslewet series. Dresslewet soils have an aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric, have mean annual soil temperature of 9 to 12 degrees C., and do not have cambic horizons.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Dehy soils are on alluvial fans and low stream terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. Elevations range from 1,100 to 1,465 meters. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm. The mean annual temperature is 14 to 18 degrees C., mean July temperature is about 27 degrees C., and the mean January temperature is about 4 degrees C. The frost-free period is 140 to 220 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cartago, Goodale, Shabbell, and Shondow soils. Cartago soils are sandy. Goodale soils are sandy-skeletal and have ochric epipedons. Shabbell soils have argillic horizons and do not have endosaturation within 150 cm of the soil surface. Shondow soils are fine-loamy and have sodium-affected argillic horizons. In addition, all of these soils are on alluvial fans and have a thermic temperature regime.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low or medium surface runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability, some phases have moderately rapid or rapid permeability in the lower part of the profile. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 61 and 152 cm (moderately deep and deep free water occurrence classes) from March 1 to June 1. Cumulative annual duration class is Common. These soils are susceptible to rare flooding for very brief or long periods year-round.

USE AND VEGETATION: Dehy soils are used for irrigated pasture. Vegetation is mixed pasture grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central California in the Owens Valley. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 29.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Inyo County (Benton-Owens Valley Area), California, 1996.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 30 cm (Ap and A1 horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 46 to 104 cm (Bw horizon).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 60 and 150 cm at certain times during normal years (parts of the Bw and 2C horizons).
Particle size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A2 horizon and parts of the A1 and Bw horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: A pedon of Dehy was sampled for full characterization by the Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE, as soil survey sample number S86CA-027-009
(Pedon # 86P 0816).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.