LOCATION DOEL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplodurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Doel sandy loam--on a 1 percent slope under rabbitbrush and cheatgrass at 4,241 feet elevation. (When described August 12, 1980, the soil was dry through to the duripan and moist below).
A1--0 to 2 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very coarse platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong very fine platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
A3--7 to 14 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bt--14 to 21 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; few thin clay bridges between mineral grains; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Bw--21 to 29 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
2Cqkm--29 to 34 inches; light gray (10YR 7/1) and very pale brown (10YR 7/3) duripan, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) and yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium, coarse and very coarse platy structure; very hard, very firm and brittle; 2 to 5 mm indurated laminar cap and opal coatings and troweled surface; violently effervescent with lime in seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
2Cqk1--34 to 39 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) duripan, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) and yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist mottles; moderate medium platy structure; very hard, very firm and brittle; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
2Cqk2--39 to 48 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) duripan, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, firm, strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 11 inches thick)
3C--48 to 60 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2), grayish brown (10YR 5/2) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) medium sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Siskiyou County, California; about 1 1/2 miles west of Macdoel, 30 feet north of dirt road; about 550 feet east and 600 feet south of the northwest corner of section 18, T. 46 N., R. 1 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum is 16 to 28 inches. Depth to the duripan ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 48 to 52 degrees F. The soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is about 41 degrees F from about March 15 to December 1 (255 days) and is above 47 degrees F from about April 15 to November 15 (210 days). The soil between depths of 8 to duripan or 24 inches is dry in all parts from June 10 to November 15 (155 days). The moisture control section is dry more than half the time the soil temperature is greater than 41 degrees F. Gravel range from 0 to 10 percent.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/1 or 6/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4 or 4/2. Clay content ranges from 5 to 15 percent. The reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bt horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/1, 6/2, 6/3 or 7/2 and moist color or 10YR 4/2, 4/3 or 2.5Y 4/2. The Bt has 6 to 17 percent clay with about 1 to 2 percent more clay content than the A horizon.
The C horizon has dry color of 6/2, 6/3, 7/1, 7/2 or 8/2 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3 or 2.5Y 4/2. The 2Cqkm is indurated and has 2 to 5 mm cap that has opal laminar coatings. The duripan is 15 to 25 inches thick.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Prineville, Shalake, Skull Creek and Taunton series. Prineville soils have 5 to 25 percent sand sized pumice particles throughout the solum and do not have carbonates above the duripan. Shalake soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in their control section and lack a Bt horizon (Cambic). Skull Creek soils have less than 52 percent sand in the particle-size control section and lack a B horizon (Cambic). Taunton soils have a k horizon above the duripan and do not have sand below the duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Doel soils are on alluvial plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in alluvium weathered from extrusive igneous rock. Elevations are from 4,100 to 4,300 feet. The climate is semiarid with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation is about 10 to 12 inches. Snowfall is 20 to 30 inches. The average annual temperature is about 46 to 50 degrees F. The average January temperature is about 30 degrees F and the average July temperature is about 65 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 30 to 50 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fordney, Poman (T), Dysert (T) and Modoc soils. Fordney soils lack a duripan. Poman soils have a sandy particle-size control section. Dysert soils have a clayey particle-size control section and are 10 to 20 inches deep to a duripan. Modoc soils have a fine loamy particle control section and lack carbonates.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Doel series are used for rangeland and irrigated cropland. Vegetation is Indian ricegrass, Thurber needlegrass, Nevada bluegrass and rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral California. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Siskiyou County, California; Butte Valley-Tule Lake Soil Survey area, 1985. The name is from the town of Macdoel.
ADDTIONAL DATA: Sample for characterization 8/80 by the Lincoln Laboratory Pedon No. S 80 CA-093-011.