LOCATION EDALPH CA
Established Series
Rev: JCR/LJL/ET
04/2015
EDALPH SERIES
The Edalph series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in sandy alluvium derived from granite. Edalph soils are on fan remnants and have slopes of 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 67 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Typic Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Edalph loamy sand, 2 to 8 percent slopes at an elevation of 2,540 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 10 percent gravel.
A--0 to 4 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate very thick platy structure; sightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; very slightly effervescent; 5 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 15 inches thick)
Btk1--4 to 32 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; few very fine to medium interstitial pores; 20 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on sand grains; 10 percent secondary bands of lime; 20 percent gravel; noneffervescent to very slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 30 inches thick)
Btk2--32 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent patchy faint clay films on sand grains; 5 percent secondary bands of lime; 5 percent gravel; noneffervescent to very slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; 8 1/2 miles east and 6 1/2 miles north of Landers, California; about 1250 feet south and 600 feet west of the tentative northeast corner of section 9, T. 3 N., R. 7 E.; 34 degrees, 21 minutes, 49.5 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 14 minutes, 52.3 seconds west longitude; Deadman Lake SW quadrangle; UTM 11S, 0569165e, 3802548n; NAS-C.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Soil Temperature: 66 to 71 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizon: 2 to 15 inches.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Control section - Rock fragments: averages 5 to 20 percent gravel, ranges from 0 to 25 percent.
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent.
A horizon - Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4
Btk1 horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sand or loamy coarse sand.
Consistence: slightly hard or moderately hard, very friable or friable.
Effervescence: noneffervescent through slightly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 20 percent.
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 4
Other features: 5 to 15 percent secondary lime.
Btk2 horizon - Value: 5 through 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: coarse sand or loamy coarse sand.
Consistence: slightly hard or moderately hard.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent.
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 dS/m
Sodium adsorption ratio: 5 to 12
Other features: 0 to 5 percent secondary lime.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ambrosia T(CA),
Arada (NV),
Knob Hill (NV),
Lovelace (CA), and
Rilloso (NM) series. Ambrosia and Knob Hill soils have 20 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Arada soils have 24 to 39 inches to the calcic horizon. Knob Hill and Lovelace soils are 16 to 24 inches to the calcic horizon. Rilloso soils are intermittently moist for more than 20 days during July through September.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Edalph soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. These soils formed in sandy alluvium derived from granite. Elevations are 1,875 to 3,500 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 2 to 6 inches; mean annual air temperature is 64 to 69 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 200 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Cajon (CA),
Calcio T(CA),
Desfirex T(CA),
Eastrange T(CA),
Gayspass T(CA),
Macagce T(CA) and
Narea T(CA) series. Cajon, Desfirex and Gayspass soils do not have a calcic horizon. Calcio soils have an argillic horizon. Eastrange soils have sandy-skeletal particle-size control sections. Macagce and Narea soils have more than 20 percent durinodes in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low or low runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Edalph soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly white bursage and creosotebush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Marine Corps Air/Ground Combat Center Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 4 inches (A horizon)
2. Calcic horizon -- 4 to 32 inches (Btk1 horizon)
3. Particle-size control section -- 10 to 40 inches (Part of the Btk1 and part of the Btk2 horizons).
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2000. ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.