LOCATION EL SOLYO CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Calcic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: El Solyo silty clay loam on a NE facing slope of less than 1 percent at 75 feet elevation in an irrigated orchard. (Colors are for dry conditions unless otherwise indicated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive to weak medium granular structure; very hard, firm, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine roots; many fine and very fine tubular and few fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.3); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
AB--6 to 11 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and very fine roots; many fine tubular and interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.7); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
Bt--11 to 17 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; few medium and many tubular pores; few thin clay films in pores; very slightly effervescent with disseminated lime; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Btk1--17 to 38 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, brown to dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; common, moderately thick clay films on ped faces and in pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime and with accumulations of segregated lime in fine soft masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual irregular boundary. (16 to 30 inches thick)
Btk2--38 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silty clay loam, brown to dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few, very fine roots; many fine and very fine tubular pores; few, moderately thick clay films in pores and as bridges; strongly effervescent with lime disseminated and with accumulations of segregated lime in occasional fine soft masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Stanislaus County, California; 0.2 miles south of California State Highway 132 on McCracken Road, 30 feet west of McCracken Rd. or 1056 feet S. and 30 feet W. of the NE 1/4 corner of sec.35, T.3S., R.6E., M.D.B.M. Vernalis Quad.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to a marked increase in lime ranges from about 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is about 62 degrees F. The soil between a depth of 5 to 15 inches is dry in all parts from May through October, unless irrigated, and moist in all parts between late December and mid March. Average clay content of the textural control section is 35 to 50 percent. Lime is segregated in filaments or soft masses at a depth of 25 to 35 inches.
The A horizon is 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 2.5Y 5/2, 6/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2, 4/3; 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2. Organic matter content is .5 to 2 percent. Reaction is neutral in the upper part to slightly alkaline in the lower part. Texture is silty clay loam or clay loam.
The Bt horizon is of 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4. Reaction is slightly or moderately alkaline. Texture is silty clay loam or silty clay.
The Btk horizon is of 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4. Reaction is slightly or moderately alkaline. Texture is silty clay loam or silty clay.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: El Solyo soils occur on nearly level alluvial fans and have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. The soil formed in alluvium from sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Elevations are 40 to 500 feet. The climate is semiarid with a mean annual rainfall of 10 to 15 inches, hot dry summers, and cool moist winters. Mean annual temperature is 60 to 62 degrees F., average January temperature is about 46 degrees F., and average July temperature is about 78 degrees F. The frost-free period is 265 to 275 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Vernalis and Stomar series. Vernalis and Stomar soils have fine-loamy control sections and occur on a similar landscape.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly used for irrigated row crops and deciduous orchards. Insufficient uncultivated areas exist to describe the native flora.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along the west side of the lower San Joaquin Valley, California. The soils are not extensive in MLRA-17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Western Stanislaus County, California, 1990. (Name from a large Spanish Land Grant Ranch in Western Stanislaus County.) Series established by the San Joaquin County correlation on 8/90.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 11 inches (Ap,AB)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 11 to 17 inches (Bw)
Calcic subgroup - the zone from 17 to 60 inches has accumulations of segregated lime in soft masses (Bk1,Bk2).
Runoff terminology updated 4/96 from slow to new criteria of negligible to medium, and comply with the Soil Survey Manual, 10/93.
CEC/Clay ratio from NSSL pedon S92CA-099-006 in the W. Stanislaus Soil Survey Area.
ADDITIONAL DATA: UC Davis Agri. Extension Service Lab samples taken 1/11/67: Field No. 67 50 3C (modal pedon) and NSSL Pedon S92CA-099-006 and, S91CA-099-101 used for RIC.