LOCATION FEETHILL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Feethill sandy loam, on a mountain slope of 30 percent under annual grasses, and blue oaks at 2,440 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on February 14, 1994 the soil was moist throughout.)
A-- 0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 4 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
BAt-- 4 to 9 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; common thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1-- 9 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; few moderately thick and common thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); gradual wavy boundary. (9 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2-- 18 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; common thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
BC-- 24 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable,slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and coarse roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 7 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8).
Cr--30 inches; weathered granitic rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; 1.5 miles south of Sequoia National Forest boundary; about 400 feet east and 2,800 feet north of the southwestern corner of Sec. 11, T.29S., R.30E., MDB&M, Mt. Adelaide Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to weathered rock: 20 to 40 inches.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 8 to 18 inches.
Soil Temperature - The mean annual soil temperature is 60 to 65 degrees F. The soil temperature is greater than 41 degrees F. from about Febuary 1 to December 15 (300 to 330 days) and is greater than 47 degrees F from about March 1 to December 1 (250 to 290 days).
Soil Moisture - The soils are dry from about June 1 to November 1 (140 to 160 days). The soil is moist in some or all parts for 90 or more days when the soil temperature is greater than 47 degrees F.
Reaction: neutral to mildly alkaline
Control section:
Texture: sandy clay loam
Average percent clay: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragements: 0 to 14 percent
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; moist or dry
Organic matter: 1.0 to 3.0
Texture: sandy loam, or loam.
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 4,or 5; 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4 moist or dry
Texture: sandy clay loam,
Average percent clay: 20 to 30 percent
Rock fragements: 0 to 14 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Bohna, Chualar, Chuloak, Francisican, Gilroy, Pinto, Sagaser, Shimmon, Soper, Tehachapi, Tajea and Yardarm (T) soils. The Bohna, Chualar, Chuloak, Pinto and Tehachapi soils are greater than 40 inches deep and are on alluvial fans and terraces. The Franciscan and Gilroy soils have a lithic contact. Sagaser soils are greater than 40 inches deep over sandstone and shale. Shimmon soils are dry from 110 to 125 days. Soper soils have more than 15 percent rock fragments in the texture control section. Tajea soils are lithic over sandstone bedrock. Yardarm soils have colors redder than 7.5 YR and are dry for less than 75 days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Feethill soils are on mountain slopes of 9 to 60 percent slope. These soils formed in material weathered from granitic rocks. Elevations are 1,500 to 4,500 feet. The average annual precipitation is about 10 to 20 inches. The mean annual air temperature is about 58 to 64 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 38 to 43 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 74 to 78 degrees F., and the frost-free season is about 175 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arujo, Sesame, Tweedy, Tunis and Walong soils. Arujo soils are deep. Sesame soils lack a mollic epipedon. Tweedy soils are mesic. Tunis soils are coarse-loamy and shallow. Walong soils lack an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is mostly blue oak, and annual grasses such as soft chess and slender oats with some gooseberry and California Buckeye.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Sierra Nevada Range in California. This series is not extensive in MLRA 18.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County; Kern County, Northeastern Part and Southeastern Part of Tulare County, California 2005.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon -- Zone from 0 to 18 inches (A, BAt, Bt1)
Argillic horizon -- Zone from 4 to 24 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)
Paralithic contact -- 30 inches (Cr)
The name was changed from Foothill to Feethill to adhere to NSSH guidelines against using landform terms.