LOCATION DOEMILL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Doemill gravelly loam, on a west facing 3 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 319 feet, (97 m). When described on 3/26/97 the soil was dry from 0 to 1 inch, (0 to 2.5 cm) and slightly moist from 1 to 14 inches, (2.5 to 36 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 1 inches, (0 to 2.5 cm); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; 19 percent clay; moderate fine and medium platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores and common very fine irregular pores; noneffervescent; 15 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.1 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches, (2.5 to 5 cm) thick)
Bt1--1 to 5 inches, (2.5 to 13 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; 23 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 20 percent gravel; neutral, pH 6.8 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--5 to 9 inches, (13 to 23 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; 24 percent clay; 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 vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 15 percent gravel; neutral, pH 6.7 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--9 to 14 inches, (23 to 36 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; neutral, pH 6.7 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 8 to 19 inches, (20 to 48 cm) thick).
R--14 inches, (36 cm); indurated volcanic mudflow breccia; roots are matted on surface; 1/16 inch (2 mm) manganese capping.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 0.7 miles north of Rock Creek Road and about 2.8 miles east of Meridian Road; approximately 1,600 feet south and 750 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 16, T.23N., R.1E., 39 degrees, 51 minutes, 3.57 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees, 51 minutes, 54.65 seconds west longitude, NAD83. U.S.G.S. Quad: Richardson Springs, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic bedrock is 10 to 20 inches, (25 to 51 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F, (15 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to about October (about 150 to 200 days). The particle-size control section averages 18 to 27 percent clay and 2 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and 2 inches (5 cm) below the surface of the soil from November through March. Redoximorphic features such as iron-manganese masses occur in the Bt horizon and manganese accumulations occur in layers 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick on top of the bedrock. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 20 percent gravel, 2 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones and 0 to 5 percent boulders. Some pedons have a 1/16 inch, (2 mm) thick organic mat on the surface.
The A horizon dry color is 5YR 4/6, 5/6 or 7.5YR 5/6. Moist color is 2.5YR 3/4, 5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4 or 7.5YR 3/3. Texture is loam or gravelly loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 24 percent. Rock fragments range from 1 to 15 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon dry color is 5YR 5/6 or 7.5YR 5/6. Moist color is 2.5YR 3/3, 3/4, 5YR 3/3, 3/4 or 4/4. Texture is loam, gravelly loam, cobbly loam, gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 30 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 20 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 10 percent stones. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Millerton and Jokerst soils. Millerton soils have no water table. Jokerst soils are very shallow.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Doemill soils are on mounds and broad convex and planar areas on ridge tops and side slopes on volcanic ridges in Cascade foothills. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from volcanic mudflow breccia. Elevation is 165 to 1700 feet, (50 to 518 m). Mean annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches, (635 to 1016 mm). The mean annual temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 250 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Jokerst soil. Jokerst soils are in swales and concave positions and are very shallow.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very high runoff; moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon and moderate to moderately slow in the Bt horizon. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and 2 inches (5 cm) below the surface of the soil from November through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed and home site development. Vegetation is soft chess, filaree, Mediterranean barley, ripgut brome, medusahead, clover, yellow starthistle, goldfields and wild oat with blue oak, foothill pine, manzanita, Pacific poison oak and buckbrush at higher elevations.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California. MLRA 18 - Sierra Nevada Foothills (Cascade part). The soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from Doemill Ridge.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 1 inches, (0 to 2.54 cm) (A)
Argillic horizon - zone from 1 to 14 inches, (2.54 to 36 cm) (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)
Lithic Contact - at 14 inches, (36 cm).
Particle-size control section - zone from 0 to 14 inches, (0 to 36 cm).
Soil moisture control section - zone from 6 to 14 inches, (15 to 36 cm).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference data from lab pedon number: 01N0255, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.