LOCATION FAIRLAN                 CA

Tentative Series
EEM/LJL/CAH/ET
04/2015

FAIRLAN SERIES

The Fairlan series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from igneous and metamorphic sources. Fairlan soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 millimeters (8 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 15 degrees C (59 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Fairlan sandy loam, on a simple, linear 2 percent slope under desert shrubs at an elevation of 1395 meters (4575 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 10 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles.

A -- 0 to 6 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 4 percent fine gravel and 6 percent medium and coarse gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 centimeters, 2 to 5 inches thick)

Bt -- 6 to 17 centimeters (2 to 7 inches); brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular and common very fine and fine irregular pores; 5 percent faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and 40 percent faint brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on rock fragments; 8 percent fine gravel, 2 percent medium and coarse gravel and 3 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 26 centimeters, 0 to 10 inches thick)

Btk1 -- 17 to 40 centimeters (7 to 16 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular and common fine irregular pores; 35 percent distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist clay films on faces of peds and 60 percent distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films on rock fragments; 30 percent distinct white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 4 percent fine gravel, 6 percent medium and coarse gravel and 3 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary.

Btk2 -- 40 to 90 centimeters (16 to 35 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds and 10 percent distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay films on rock fragments; 30 percent distinct white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments and 2 percent fine distinct white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate threads in the soil matrix with clear boundaries; 3 percent fine gravel, 6 percent medium and coarse gravel and 1 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons is 49 to 86 centimeters, 19 to 34 inches)

2Btkq -- 90 to 152 centimeters (35 to 60 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) very gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine irregular pores; 40 percent prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silica coats on calcium carbonate nodules; 10 percent distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay films on rock fragments; 10 percent very coarse faint white (10YR 8/1) moderately cemented platy calcium carbonate nodules in the soil matrix with clear boundaries and 2 percent fine prominent very pale brown (10YR 8/2) moderately cemented irregular calcium carbonate nodules on the bottom of rock fragments with sharp boundaries and 90 percent distinct white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments; 25 percent fine gravel, 15 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 62 centimeters, 0 to 24 inches thick)

2Bkkq -- 152 to 177 centimeters (60 to 70 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) weakly cemented extremely gravelly coarse sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; petrocalcic with 70 percent cementation; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots matted at the top of horizon; 15 percent fine gravel and 45 percent medium and coarse gravel; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 14 kilometers (9 miles) south-southeast of Nipton, California on Hart Mine Road southeast of the New York Mountains; 750 meters (2460 feet) west and 570 meters (1870 feet) south of the northeast corner of section 17, T. 14 N., R. 17 E., San Bernardino Baseline Meridian; 35 degrees, 17 minutes, 48.7 seconds north latitude, and 115 degrees, 10 minutes, 15.1 seconds west longitude; USGS Castle Peaks, CA 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0666315e 3907499n (DATUM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some part from December to March and intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during July to September following summer convection storms. These soils have an aridic bordering on ustic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 15 to 19 degrees C (59 to 66 degrees F).

Surface rock fragments: 18 to 25 percent, with 15 to 23 percent gravel, 1 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 1 percent stones.

Depth to argillic horizon: 5 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches).
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 90 to 125 centimeters (35 to 49 inches).

Control section -
Rock fragments: 11 to 15 percent, dominantly gravel.
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent.

A horizon
Value: 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 6 to 11 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 14 percent, dominantly gravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent or very slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
Organic matter: 0.25 to 0.75 percent.

Bt horizon (when present)
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam or sandy clay loam.
Clay content: 19 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 7 to 13 percent, with 7 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 3 percent cobbles.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

Btk horizons(s)
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5, dry or moist.
Chroma: 3 through 6, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 30 percent, with 8 to 27 percent gravel, 1 to 10 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones.
Effervescence: very slightly to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonates: 0 to 2 percent fine gravel-sized calcium carbonate masses and calcium carbonate coats on rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baboquivari (AZ), Canez (NM), Courtland (AZ), Triomas (TX) and Walkon (NM) series. Baboquivari soils have 1 to 3 percent organic matter in the surface and are noneffervescent throughout. Canez soils have buried soil horizons above 150 centimeters (60 inches) and receive one half or more of the precipitation during May and early September. Courtland soils have surface horizons that are 36 to 46 centimeters (14 to 18 inches) thick and color hues of 2.5YR or 5YR throughout the argillic. Triomas soils formed in eolian materials, have fine sand and loamy fine sand surface textures and lack rock fragments. Walkon soils have a lithic contact at 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fairlan soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from igneous and metamorphic sources. Elevations are 1340 to 1510 meters (4395 to 4953 feet). The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, intermittently moist summers. Precipitation is greatest in the winter with a lesser secondary peak in the summer, typical of the Mojave Desert transitional to the Sonoran Desert. The mean annual precipitation is 175 to 225 millimeters (7 to 9 inches). The mean annual air temperature is 13 to 17 degrees C (55 to 63 degrees F). The frost-free season is 210 to 270 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Flyby (T), Lecyr (T) and Ustidur soils. These soils occur on nearby fan remnants and ballenas. Flyby soils have a petrocalcic at 10 to 36 centimeters. Lecyr soils have a petrocalcic at 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches). Ustidur soils have a duripan at 10 to 36 centimeters (4 to 14 inches).

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Fairlan soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly black grama, big galleta and Joshua tree.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California; Soil Survey of the Mojave National Preserve Area, California, 2011. The name is coined from Lanfair Valley.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 6 centimeters (0 to 2 inches) (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 6 to 90 centimeters (2 to 35 inches) (Bt, Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).
Petrocalcic horizon - the zone beginning at 152 centimeters (60 inches) (2Bkkq horizon).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 6 to 56 centimeters (2 to 22 inches) (Bt, Btk1 and part of the Btk2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 11CA795234.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 10/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.