LOCATION ELSEY CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Oxyaquic Haplohumults
TYPICAL PEDON: Elsey loam, on a north facing 3 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses at an elevation of 1330 feet, (405 m). When described on 10/18/2000 the soil was moist from 0 to 17 inches, (0 to 43 cm) and dry below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 3 inches, (0 to 8 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 16 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots throughout; many fine irregular pores; 10 percent subangular basalt gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches, (5 to 20 cm) thick)
BAt--3 to 8 inches, (8 to 20 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 18 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots throughout; many fine irregular pores; 5 percent patchy faint clay films on surfaces along pores; 15 percent subangular basalt gravel; strongly acid, pH 5.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches, (0 to 18 cm) thick)
Bt1--8 to 17 inches, (20 to 43 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 24 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots throughout and common medium roots between peds; common fine irregular and tubular pores; 10 percent discontinuous faint clay films on surfaces along pores; 10 percent subangular basalt gravel and 20 percent subangular basalt cobbles; moderately acid, pH 5.8 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--17 to 25 inches, (43 to 64 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 26 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common fine and few medium roots between peds; common fine irregular and tubular pores; 15 percent discontinuous faint clay films on surfaces along pores; 10 percent subangular basalt gravel and 20 percent subangular basalt cobbles; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt1 and Bt2 horizon is 7 to 22 inches, (18 to 56 cm).
Bt3--25 to 32 inches, (64 to 81 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 26 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common fine and few very fine roots between peds; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent discontinuous faint clay films on surfaces along pores; 10 percent subangular basalt gravel and 30 percent basalt cobbles; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear wavy boundary.
Bt4--32 to 38 inches, (81 to 97 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2), moist; 25 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots between peds; few fine tubular pores; 20 percent discontinuous faint clay films on surfaces along pores; 15 percent subangular basalt gravel and 40 percent basalt cobbles; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt3 and Bt4 horizon is 7 to 14 inches, (18 to 36 cm).
R--38 inches, (97 cm) indurated basalt bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 5 miles north of Oroville, California, approximately 1,200 feet south and 750 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 17, T.20N., R.4E., 39 degrees, 35 minutes, 41.1 seconds North Latitude and 121 degrees, 32 minutes, 31.9 seconds West Longitude. NAD83 - USGS Quad: Oroville, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic basalt bedrock is 20 to 40 inches, (51 to 102 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 61 to 64 degrees F, (16 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to about November (about 150 to 200 days). The particle-size control section averages 24 to 27 percent clay and 15 to 30 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 1.6 to 7 percent. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and 15 inches, (38 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through April. Rock fragments on the surface range from 5 to 15 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/4, 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4 or 5/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 2/2, 3/2, 3/3, 10YR 2/2, 3/2, 3/3 or 5YR 2/2. Texture is loam or gravelly loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 22 percent. Organic matter ranges from 4 to 8 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 15 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid.
The BAt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 10YR 3/4, 4/4 or 5/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 10YR 3/2, 3/3 or 5YR 3/2. Texture is loam or gravelly loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 24 percent. Organic matter ranges from 3 to 6 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid.
The upper Bt horizon (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons) dry colors are 7.5YR 4/3, 4/4, 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 5/3 or 5/4. Moist colors are 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 10YR 3/2, 3/3 or 5YR 3/2. Textures are loam, gravelly loam or cobbly loam. Clay content ranges from 19 to 27 percent. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 3 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 20 percent gravel and 5 to 20 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid.
The lower Bt horizon (Bt3 and Bt4 horizons) dry colors are 7.5YR 4/3, 4/4, 10YR 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4. Moist colors are 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/3, 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4 or 5YR 3/3. Textures are cobbly loam, cobbly clay loam, very cobbly loam, very cobbly clay loam, gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam or very gravelly clay loam. Clay content ranges from 25 to 33 percent. Organic matter ranges from 0.2 to 1 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 25 percent gravel and 10 to 40 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to moderately acid.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Elsey soils are on mound positions in mound-swale microtopography on tops of basalt plateaus in volcanic Sierra Nevada foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 5 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from basalt. Elevation is 380 to 1,440 feet, (116 to 439 m). The mean annual precipitation is 27 to 35 inches, (686 to 889 cm). The mean annual temperature is 59 to 62 degrees F, (15 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 250 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beatsonhollow, Campbellhills, Cherotable and Thermalrocks soils. Beatsonhollow soils are in swales, are loamy-skeletal and shallow to bedrock. Campbellhills soils are in fractures, are loamy-skeletal and deep to bedrock. Cherotable soils are on undulating flat to concave positions, are fine-loamy and deep to bedrock. Thermalrocks soils are on convex positions, are loamy-skeletal and very shallow to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very high runoff; moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A, BAt, and upper Bt horizons and moderate to moderately slow in the lower Bt horizon. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the bedrock and 15 inches, (38 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is annual grasses and forbs dominantly soft chess, medusahead, wild oats, ripgut brome, lupine and filaree.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occurs in (M261Fb) Lower Foothills Metamorphic Belt and as inclusions in (262Ag) Hardpan Terraces subsection of the (M261F) Sierra Nevada Foothills Section. MLRA 18 - Sierra Nevada Foothills. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from railroad siding on Table Mountain. Name was Kramn when first proposed.
REMARKS: These soils were previously mapped as scablands in the Soil Survey of Oroville Area, Soil Survey of Chico Area, California 1926.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section - zone from 8 to 28 inches, (20 to 71 cm) (Bt1, Bt2, and part of the Bt3)
Umbric epipedon - zone from 0 to 38 inches, (0 to 97 cm) (A, BAt, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4)
Argillic horizon - zone from 8 to 38 inches, (20 to 97 cm) (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3)
Lithic contact - at 38 inches, (97 cm) (R)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 7 to 28 inches, (18 to 71cm).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Used data from nearby sample 66-CA-04-003X, University of California, Davis. Piezometer data collected from 12/00 to 5/01. Pedon #554R.