LOCATION ESCANO CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, calcareous, thermic Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Escano clay loam - on a slope of 2 percent in a cultivated melon field at 100 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on November 17, 1976, the soil was moist throughout).
Ap--0 to 10 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure parting to weak medium granular; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
A--10 to 17 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) and very dark gray (N 3/0) clay loam, very dark gray (N 3/0) and (5Y 3/1) and olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent with disseminated lime, violently effervescent with disseminated lime and segregated as few fine soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 10 to 20 inches).
Bt--17 to 22 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) and pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay loam, dark gray (5Y 4/1) and olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; many medium distinct light gray (5YR 7/2) mottles and many medium distinct pale yellow (5Y 7/3) mottles moist; strong fine prismatic structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many moderatelythick clay films on peds; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime and segregated as common medium irregular soft masses; 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Btk--22 to 29 inches; olive (5Y 5/3) clay loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; common medium distinct light gray (5Y 7/2) mottles, common medium distinct pale yellow (5Y 7/3) mottles moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial ores; few thin clay films on peds and staining mineral grains; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime, violently effervescent lime segregated in few fine irregular soft masses; 8 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary (0 to 10 inches thick)
Ck1--29 to 51 inches; white (10YR 8/1) and pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay loam, light gray (5Y 7/2) and olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; violently effervescent with disseminated lime and segregated as many medium irregular and large soft masses; 48 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (7 to 30 inches thick)
Ck2--51 to 60 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) and white (10YR 8/1) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and light gray (5Y 7/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime, violently effervescent lime segregated in many medium irregular soft masses; 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Merced County, California; 14 miles east of the city of Los Banos, 1,200 feet southeast of the intersection of Hutchins and Indiana Roads, 1.8 miles west of the San Joaquin River, 130 feet west and 180 feet north of canals bordering the field, 1,000 feet east and 600 feet south of the NW corner of section 7, T.10 S., R.12 E. UTM 10 713648e and 4106341n NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are saturated with stagnant water for at least a few days. The depth to the upper boundary of the calcic horizon (Ck1) ranges from 25 to 39 inches. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 20 inches. The 10- to 40-inch control section averages from 28 to 33 percent clay can range from 20 to 35 percent clay. Organic matter ranges between 1 and 3 percent in the upper 10 to 20 inches and decreases regularly to less than 1 percent below 20 inches. Exchangeable sodium increases with depth.
The A horizon is 10YR 3/1, 4/1, 4/2, 5/2; 2.5Y 5/2; 5Y 5/2; N 3/0 or N 4/0 and may be mottled. Moist colors are 10YR 2/1, 3/1, 3/2; 5Y 2/2, 3/1, 4/2; or 2.5Y 3/2 and N 3/0. It is loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam. It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline and may be calcareous. Some pedons do not have A horizons.
The Bt1 horizon is 2.5Y 5/2; 5Y 5/2 or 6/3 and may not be mottled. Moist colors are 2.5Y 4/2; 5Y 4/1, 4/2 or 4/3. There is distinct or prominent mottling. It is clay loam, loam, or silt loam. Typically, the electrical conductivity of the saturation extract is less than 1.2 mmhos/cm and the exchangeable sodium percentage is less than 5.
The Ck1 horizon is 10YR 8/1; 5Y 6/2, 6/3 or 7/1. Moist colors are 5Y 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, 6/3, 7/2; 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2, 7/2 or 8/2. Some pedons have mottling. The value of the color depends on the percentage lime content which typically is from 30 to 50 percent but ranges as low as 15 percent.
The Ck2 horizon is stratified loam and clay loam layers.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bolfar and Temple series in other families. Bolfar soils lack a calcic horizon and have a mollic epipedon more than 24 inches thick. Temple soils lack a mollic epipedon and calcic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Escano soils are in valley basins. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in mixed alluvium, weathered mostly from granitic rocks. Most of this soil has been land leveled, but was hummocky in its natural landscape. Elevations are 90 to 110 feet. The climate is semiarid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is about 11 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F. The frost-free season is 210 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Bolfar soils and the Dospalos, Elnido, Kesterson, and Palazzo soils. Dospalos soils are fine. Elnido soils are coarse-loamy. Kesterson soils have a natric horizon. Palazzo soils have organic matter that decreases irregularly and lacks carbonates within 20 inches of the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. These soils were previously very poorly drained and ponded with stagnant water for extended periods during winter and spring months and are now ponded for periods of 2 to 7 days from December to February. The water table is now 3.5 to 5 feet December through February. The soils are now artifically drained or have had their water source intercepted. They are protected from major flooding by large flood control levees and reservoirs.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are cultivated and irrigated. They are principally used for field crops and vegetable production with small acreages of orchards and pastures.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are distributed near the San Joaquin River in the central part of the San Joaquin Valley in California. They are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Merced County, California, 1985.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly included with and surveyed as the Temple series in the Los Banos Area, series 1939 report. These soils are being differentiated by having a mollic epipedon and a calcic horizon which are not characteristic of the Temple series. pH determined by colorimetric method using Thymol Blue and Hellige-Truog Triplex indicators. Texture determined by modified Bouyoucos method. Calcium carbonate equivalent determined by HCl method. ESP determined by versinate method.
Series reclassified 5/95. Competing series not updated at that time.