LOCATION EMPTYGUN                CA

Established Series
Rev: LJL/PBF/CAH/ET
12/2015

EMPTYGUN SERIES

The Emptygun series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from igneous and volcanic sources. Emptygun soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 8 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 75 millimeters (about 3 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 24 degrees C (about 75 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, hyperthermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Emptygun very gravelly sandy loam on a southeast facing, 18 percent slope at an elevation of 215 meters (about 700 feet). When described on 04/16/2003 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 10 percent fine gravel, 60 percent medium and coarse gravel, 8 percent cobbles and 4 percent stones.

A--0 to 7 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and common fine tubular pores; 10 percent fine gravel, 35 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; violently effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 7 centimeters thick)

Bkq--7 to 19 centimeters (3 to 8 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent distinct, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2), silica coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 25 percent prominent, white (10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 5 percent coarse and very coarse, prominent, white (10YR 8/1), irregular, noncemented calcium carbonate masses, in matrix around concentrations, with clear boundaries; 1 percent fine, prominent, white (10YR 8/1), platy, noncemented calcium carbonate masses, on bottom surfaces of rock fragments, with clear boundaries; 10 percent fine gravel and 30 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 2 percent stones; violently effervescent (11 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 44 centimeters thick)

2Btkq1--19 to 86 centimeters (8 to 34 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 5 percent distinct, brown (7.5YR 4/4), clay films, on rock fragments and bridging sand grains; 10 percent distinct, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2), silica coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 25 percent prominent, white (10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 5 percent coarse and very coarse, prominent, white (10YR 8/1), irregular, noncemented calcium carbonate masses in matrix around concentrations with clear boundaries; 1 percent fine, prominent, white (10YR 8/1), platy, noncemented calcium carbonate masses on bottom surfaces of rock fragments with clear boundaries; 15 percent fine gravel and 45 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles, and 3 percent stones; violently effervescent (12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (32 to 100 centimeters thick)

2Btkq2--86 to 152 centimeters (34 to 60 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/3) very gravelly sand, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent distinct, brown (7.5YR 4/4), clay films, on rock fragments and bridging sand grains; 5 percent distinct, pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2), silica coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 10 percent prominent, white (10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate coats on bottom surfaces of rock fragments; 1 percent fine, prominent, white (10YR 8/1), platy, noncemented calcium carbonate masses on bottom surfaces of rock fragments with clear boundaries; 20 percent fine gravel with 35 percent medium and coarse gravel (20 percent fine), 3 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; violently effervescent (9 percent calcium carbonate equivalent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.1).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 8 kilometers south of Lake Havasu City, Arizona; approximately 1.5 kilometers north and 3.5 kilometers west of Havasu Palms, California; 225 meters north and 10 meters east of the southwest corner of section 24, T. 4 N., R. 25 E.; USGS Lake Havasu City South, AZ-CA 7.5 minute quadrangle; 34 degrees, 24 minutes, 53.3 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 18 minutes, 56.9 seconds west longitude; UTM 11S 746700e 3811419n (DATUM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry throughout, rarely moist in some part during summer or winter. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 25 to 28 degrees C. (77 to 82 degrees F.)

Depth to calcic horizon: 3 to 50 centimeters.

Control section -
Rock fragments: averages 45 to 70 percent, mainly gravel with 0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones.
Clay content: averages 2 to 7 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the less than 20 millimeter fraction: 5 to 15 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist.
Clay content: 7 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel with 0 to 7 percent cobbles and stones.
Structure: moderate or strong, and medium or coarse.
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 5 to 10 percent.

Bkq or Bk horizon (when present)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam.
Clay content: 7 to 12 percent.
Structure: weak or moderate, fine through coarse.
Consistence: soft or slightly hard, nonsticky or slightly sticky.
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent, mainly gravel with 0 to 3 percent cobbles and stones.
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 5 to 10 percent.
Secondary calcium carbonate: 0 to 4 percent masses in the matrix and on bottom surfaces of rock fragments.

Bkq horizon(s)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Clay content: 7 to 12 percent.
Structure: weak or moderate, fine through coarse.
Consistence: soft or slightly hard, nonsticky or slightly sticky.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, mainly gravel with 0 to 7 percent cobbles and stones.
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 5 to 15 percent.
Secondary calcium carbonate: 5 to 20 percent masses in the matrix and on bottom surfaces of rock fragments. Some pedons have individual strata that have less than 5 percent secondary calcium carbonate, but do not affect the classification or use and management.

2Btkq or 2Bkq horizon(s)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 2 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 1 through 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: loamy sand, sand, coarse sand or loamy coarse sand.
Clay content: averages 2 to 7 percent, ranges from 1 to 12 percent.
Consistence: soft through hard.
Rock fragments: averages 50 to 70 percent, ranges from 35 to 75 percent; mainly gravel with 0 to 10 percent cobbles and stones.
Effervescence: strongly or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 5 to 15 percent.
Secondary calcium carbonate: 5 to 20 percent masses in the matrix and on bottom surfaces of rock fragments. Some pedons have individual strata that have less than 5 percent secondary calcium carbonate, but do not affect the classification or use and management.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Azsand, Mesabase, Riverbend, and Varwash series. Azsand soils have MAST of 22 to 25 degrees C. and eolian sands over sandstone parent material. Mesabase soils have a paralithic contact at 50 to 100 centimeters and are derived from sandstone. Riverbend soils do not have secondary silica and are moist in the control section following summer convection storms for 10 to 20 days. Varwash soils have 15 to 25 percent calcium carbonate equivalence and alluvium derived from igneous and metamorphic rocks influenced by calcareous loess.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Emptygun soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 8 to 60 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from igneous and volcanic sources. Elevations are 140 to 540 meters (about 460 to 1770 feet). The climate is arid with warm, dry winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 50 to 125 millimeters (about 2 to 5 inches); mean annual air temperature is 23 to 26 degrees C (about 73 to 79 degrees F), and the frost-free season is 360 to 365 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Chemehuevi (T CA), Havasulake (T CA), and Sunrock (AZ) soils. Chemehuevi soils have a loamy-skeletal control section and occur on smooth fan remnants. Havasulake soils have an argillic horizon, loamy-skeletal control section, and occur on smooth fan remnants. Sunrock soils have a loamy-skeletal control section, lithic to bedrock, and occur on hills and mountains.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; low or medium runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosote bush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Colorado Desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 31. These soils are moderately extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Colorado Desert Area Soil Survey, 2010. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in the pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 7 centimeters (0 to 3 inches) (A horizon).
Calcic horizon - from a depth of 7 to 86 centimeters (3 to 34 inches) (Bkq and 2Btkq1 horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 40 inches) (Part of the Bkq and 2Btkq1 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 6811-4-14LL.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.