LOCATION FAGES CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Sodic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Fages clay, in a plowed field, at an elevation of 300 feet. (When described on June 22, 1989, the soil was dry from 0 to 22 inches and slightly moist below; Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
Ap--0 to 7 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR4/3) moist; moderate fine, medium and coarse clods; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; EC is 13 mmhos/cm; SAR is 30; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 18 inches thick)
Btnz--7 to 22 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong very coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse and very coarse angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; very slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; common thin clay films of grayish brown (10YR 5/2), dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, on peds and in pores; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; EC is 19 mmhos/cm; SAR is 63; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Bnyz--22 to 30 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to weak coarse angular blocky; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; noneffervescent; few gypsum crystals as fine and medium soft masses; EC is 23 mmhos/cm; SAR is 67; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bnz--30 to 48 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and very plastic; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; EC is 30 mmhos/cm; SAR is 77; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
Bnyz1--48 to 56 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak very coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; no roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; few gypsum crystals as fine and medium filaments and soft masses; EC is 53 mmhos/cm; SAR is 108; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (17 to 28 inches thick)
2Bnyz2--56 to 58 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, black (10YR 2/1) and dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak platy rock structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; no roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent with disseminated carbonates; common clam shells; few gypsum crystals as fine soft masses; EC is 64 mmhos/cm; SAR is 114; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
3Bnyz3--58 to 65 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; no roots; many very fine and few fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; few gypsum crystals as fine and medium filaments and soft masses; EC is 56 mmhos/cm; SAR is 108; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; about 19 miles southwest of downtown Bakersfield; 4.3 miles south and 4.3 miles west of the J.G. Boswell Buena Vista Ranch office; 1,185 feet south and 1,584 feet west of the northeast corner of Sec. 17, T. 32 S., R. 25 E., MDB&M; Mouth of Kern quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - Average annual: 62 to 67 degrees F and the soil temperature is never below 47 degrees F.
Soil moisture - dry throughout from mid March to mid December in most years; moist in some or all parts during the rest of the year.
Cracks- When dry, vertical cracks, 1 to 8 mm wide, extend from the base of the Ap horizon to a depth of 12 to 18 inches.
Reaction - Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline throughout.
Ap horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Clay content: 40 to 50 percent
Carbonates: noneffervescent or slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates
Salinity: 8 to 16 mmhos/cm in unreclaimed areas
Sodicity: sodium absorption ratio ranges from 20 to 60 in unreclaimed areas
Organic matter: 0.1 to 0.5 percent
Btnz horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 dry, 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3, or 4
Texture: clay or silty clay with 40 to 55 percent clay
Carbonates: noneffervescent or slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates
Salinity: 16 to 70 mmhos/cm in unreclaimed areas
Sodicity: sodium absorption ratio ranges from 45 to 120 in unreclaimed areas
Bnyz and Bnz horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: clay, silty clay or silty clay loam with 35 to 45 percent clay
Carbonates: noneffervescent or slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates
Salinity: 16 to 70 mmhos/cm in unreclaimed areas
Sodicity: sodium absorption ratio ranges from 45 to 120 in unreclaimed areas
2Bnyz horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4, 5, or 6 dry; 2, 3, or 4 moist
Chroma: 1, 2, 3, or 4
Texture: stratified loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam and silty clay loam with 5 to 30 percent clay
Carbonates: slightly to violently effervescent disseminated carbonates depending on strata
Salinity: 16 to 70 mmhos/cm in unreclaimed areas
Sodicity: sodium absorption ratio ranges from 45 to 120 in unreclaimed areas
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fages soils are on relict basin floors. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rock sources. Elevations are 285 to 340 feet. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool, somewhat moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 5 to 6 inches. The mean annual temperature is 62 to 65 degrees F. Mean January temperature is about 47 degrees F. and mean July temperature is about 85 degrees F. The frost-free season is 250 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buttonwillow, Cerini (T), Copus (T), Lokern, Millox (T) and Westhaven (T) soils. Buttonwillow soils are in adjacent basins, are clayey over loamy, and have an irregular decrease in organic carbon. Cerini soils are on adjacent low alluvial fans, are fine-loamy, and have an irregular decrease in organic carbon. Copus soils are in adjacent basins, have a mollic epipedon, and have an SAR of less than 13. Lokern soils are in adjacent basins, have an irregular decrease in organic carbon, and have an SAR of less than 13. Millox soils are on similar surfaces, have intersecting slickensides, and have segregated carbonates in the lower part of the B horizon. Westhaven soils are on adjacent low alluvial fans, are fine-silty, and have an irregular decrease in organic carbon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained, very slow runoff; very slow permeability or slow permeability in reclaimed areas. Where not protected these soils have rare flooding for brief periods between January and June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for irrigated crops such as cotton, wheat, and barley in areas that have been reclaimed or partially reclaimed. A few areas are used for wildlife habitat. Native vegetation includes iodine bush, alkali blite, allscale saltbush, and annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern San Joaquin Valley of California. The series is not extensive. MLRA 17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California, 1990. The name is taken from the Fages-Zalvidea trails marker.
REMARKS: Uncultivated areas of this soil have moderate to strong thick platy or medium to coarse subangular blocky structure in the A horizon. In cultivated areas there is typically no evidence of structure remaining and the soil appears massive within clods. A satellite pedon (S90CA-29-014) was sampled for laboratory characterization by the NSSL. Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 7 inches (Ap)
Cambic horizon -- 7 to 30 inches (Btnz, Bnyz)
Natric subgroup -- The upper part of the cambic horizon (Btnz) has an SAR of 63.
Particle size control section -- The zone from 10 to 40 inches