LOCATION FELIZ CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Cumulic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Feliz loam - in an irrigated vineyard of 1 percent slope at 500 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described July 13, 1977, the soil was dry to 20 inches and moist below.)
Ap--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.1); abrupt smooth boundary.
A--2 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse and very coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent 2 to 15 mm pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary.
AC--7 to 26 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and common fine interstitial and few medium tubular pores; 5 percent 2 to 20 mm pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon ranges from 20 to 46 inches)
C1--26 to 39 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky stricture; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 3 percent 2 to 20 mm pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary.
C2--39 to 55 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent 2 to 20 mm pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary.
C3--55 to 62 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 13 percent 2 to 75 mm pebbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5). (Combined thickness of the C horizons ranges from 15 to over 60 inches)
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino county, California; south of Hopland on Mountain House Road 1,700 feet south of Feliz Creek Bridge, then 700b feet west of road, on south side of vineyard avenue; 4,850 feet north and 700 feet east of the southwest corner of section 30, T.13 N., R.11 W., M.D.B.M. in the Sanel Land Grant, Hopland 7 1/2 minutes Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum ranges from 20 to 46 inches. The soil is more than 60 inches deep. Where not irrigated, the soil is dry in all parts between the depths of 6 and 18 inches from June to October and is moist in all parts from December to May. It is moist in some part from October to June. Mean annual soil temperature varies from 59 to 62 degrees F and is less than 47 degrees F for 30 to 60 days in December and January. Rock fragment content ranges form 0 to 15 percent throughout the solum.
The A horizon is 10YR 4/2, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 2/2, 3/2 or 3/3. It has 18 to 30 percent clay. Base saturation (sum) is 75 to 95 percent. Reaction is slightly acid through slightly alkaline.
The C horizon is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/1, 3/2, 3/3, 4/2 or 4/3. It is loam or clay loam with an average of 20 to 30 percent clay. Below 36 inches, some pedons have very gravelly loam, very gravelly clay loam or very gravelly sandy clay loam substrata. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Colpien (T CA), Marimel (CA) and Still (CA) series. Marimel soils have lime and mottles in the lower part of the control section. Still soils have moderately slow permeability and are dry for 120 days. Colpien soils are effervescent in some part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Feliz soils are on flood plains and fans and have slopes of 0 to 8 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from sedimentary rocks. Elevations are 160 to 1,750 feet. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation ranges form 32 to 60 inches. Mean January temperature is 44 degrees F; mean July temperature is 72 degrees F; mean annual temperature varies from 54 to 59 degrees F. Frost-free period is 175 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cole, Russian and Talmage soils. Cole soils are fine. Russian soils are coarse- loamy. Talmage soils are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for cropland growing walnuts, pears, prunes, grapes and irrigated pasture.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern California in the valleys of the Coast Range. The soils are not extensive. MLRA is 14.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, California, Eastern Part, 1985.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: The zone from 0 to 26 inches (Ap, A, Ac)