LOCATION EXCELSIOR CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Typic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Excelsior sandy loam, on a slope of less than 1 percent under cotton at 235 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 3/24/76 the soil was slightly moist below 2 inches.)
Ap--0 to 8 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
C1--8 to 20 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 22 inches thick)
C2--20 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
C3--26 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, California; approximately 1,500 feet west of Highway 43 and 250 feet south of Iona Avenue; 1500 feet west and 250 feet south of the northeast corner of section 17, T. 19 S., R. 22 E., MDB&M; Latitude 36 degrees, 17 minutes, 00 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 36 minutes, 17 seconds west; USGS Remnoy Topographic Quadrangle, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section of 8 to 20 inches is dry in all parts from April 1 through December and is not continuously moist for 90 consecutive days. The organic matter is less than 1 percent at the surface and decreases irregularly with increasing depth. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 61 degrees to 65 degrees F.
The A horizon has color of 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 7/2; 2.5Y 6/2 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 5/2; 2.5Y 4/2 or 5/2. Texture is loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 0 to 3 percent. It is noneffervescent to strongly effervescent with disseminated carbonates. Electrical conductivity is 0 to 8 decisiemens per meter. Sodium adsorption ratio is 0 to 13. Electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio are affected by agricultural practices. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Eroded phases are present in some areas.
The C horizon has color of 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 7/2, 7/3,; 2.5Y 6/2, 6/4, 7/2 or 7/4. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2; 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2 or 5/4. Texture is stratified loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam and silt loam. Few fine distinct relict redoximorphic masses of iron accumulation occur in the lower C horizon in some pedons. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 to 5 percent. It is very slightly effervescent to violently effervescent and has disseminated and/or segregated carbonates. Electrical conductivity is 0 to 16 decisiemens per meter. Sodium adsorption ratio is 0 to 80. Electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio are affected by agricultural practices. Reaction is moderately alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anthony, Gila, Rucker, and Tobler series. Anthony soils (MLRA 40, 41, 42), Gila soils (MLRA 40, 41, 42), Rucker soils (MLRA 41) and Tobler soils (MLRA 30, 42, 70) are all on alluvial fans and flood plains. They are all intermittently moist in some part of soil moisture control section as a result of precipitation in the late summer months. Rucker soils have mean annual precipitation of 10 to 12 inches. Tobler soils have color hues of 2.5YR and 5YR.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Excelsior soils are on alluvial fans and bars and channels on flood plains. Slope is 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium dominantly from igneous and calcareous sedimentary rocks. Elevation is 180 to 1,000 feet. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 8 inches. Mean January temperature is 45 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 80 degrees F.; mean annual temperature is 62 to 65 degrees F. Frost-free season is 240 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Grangeville, Nord, Panoche and Wasco soils. Grangeville and Nord soils, on alluvial fans and flood plains, have a mollic epipedon. Panoche soils, on alluvial fans, have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Wasco soils, on alluvial fans, have a regular decrease in organic-carbon with increasing depth and are not calcareous in all parts between the depths of 10 and 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to medium runoff; moderate to slow permeability, with slow permeability in saline-sodic horizons.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for irrigated cropland growing alfalfa, barley, cotton and grapes. It is also used for dairy and cattle production and building site development.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Joaquin Valley. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, California, 1980.