LOCATION FERNDALE CA

Established Series
Rev: DWH/JJJ/SAA/ET
07/2016

FERNDALE SERIES

The Ferndale series consists of very deep, well drained soils on high flood-plain steps on alluvial plains. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1015 millimeters (40 inches). Mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Typic Udifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Ferndale silt loam on a 1 percent slope under pasture grasses, buttercup, and clover at an elevation of 10 meters (33 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.) When described on August 21, 1989 the soil was moist throughout.

Ap--0 to 28 centimeters (0 to 11 inches); very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron-manganese masses; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 33 centimeters thick)

C1--28 to 41 centimeters (11 to 16 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary (13 to 38 centimeters thick)

C2--41 to 53 centimeters (16 to 21 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 84 centimeters thick)

C3--53 to 127 centimeters (21 to 50 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 69 centimeters thick)

C4--127 to 152 centimeters (50 to 60 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; soft, very friable, non sticky and non plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California; about 4 kilometers northeast of Ferndale, 0.4 kilometers south of Pleasant Point Road on Waddington Road, 640 meters west; 550 meters east and 430 meters south of the northwest corner, Section 5, T.2N, R.1W HB&M; Fortuna Quadrangle (7.5 minute series); WGS84 Decimal Degrees 40.5883333 latitude, -124.2102778 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: The soil moisture control section between 15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches) is not dry in all parts for as long as 90 cumulative days in normal years. The soils have an udic moisture regime.

Depth to redoximorphic features: greater than 100 centimeters

Endosaturation: The water table is at a depth of 122 centimeters in January and February, falling to below 152 centimeters in March through December.

Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters (20 inches) is 12 to 15 degrees C (53 to 59 degrees F). The average summer soil temperature is about 18 degrees C and the average winter soil temperature is about 9 degrees C. The difference between average summer and winter soil temperatures is about 6 to 9 degrees C. The soils have a mesic soil temperature regime.

Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 10 YR or 2.5 Y
Value: 2 to 4, 6 dry
Chroma: 1 through 3 dry, 1 through 3 moist
Clay: 18 to 27 percent

Redoximorphic features: fine and medium iron-manganese masses due to compaction and irrigation
Quantity: few or common
Chroma: 4 or 6

Upper C horizon
Hue: 10 YR or 2.5 Y
Value: 3 or 4, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 through 3 dry, 1 through 3 moist
Texture of fine earth: silt loam or silty clay loam
Clay: 18 to 30 percent

Lower C horizon
Hue: 10 YR or 2.5 Y
Value: 3 or 4, 5 to 7 dry
Chroma: 1 through 3 dry, 1 through 3 moist
Texture of fine earth: silt loam or silty clay loam with some strata of very fine sandy loam and fine sandy loam
Clay: 10 to 30 percent

Redoximorphic features: fine and medium iron-manganese masses below 100 centimeters
Quantity: none to common
Distinctness: faint, distinct, or prominent
Hue: 10 YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 or 6

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ferndale soils are on high flood-plain steps on alluvial plains near the Pacific Ocean. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Elevation is 3 to 50 meters (5 to 160 feet). The climate is humid with cool, foggy summers and cool, rainy winters. Mean annual precipitation is 890 to 2286 millimeters (35 to 90 inches). The mean January temperature is about 9 degrees C (48 degrees F). The mean July temperature is about 14 degrees C (57 degrees F). The mean annual air temperature is 10 to 14 degrees C (50 to 56 degrees F). The frost free season is about 275 to 330 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canalschool, Loleta, Russ, Swainsough, and Weott series. Canalschool soils have redoximorphic features at 25 to 50 centimeters, and are on low flood-plain steps. Loleta soils have redoximorphic features at 10 to 25 centimeters, a mollic epipedon and are on alluvial fans. Russ soils have redoximorphic features at a depth greater than 100 centimeters, are coarse-loamy and on natural levees. The fine Swainslough and fine-silty Weott soils have redoximorphic features at 0 to 10 centimeters, and are on backswamps, depressions, and low flood-plain steps.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderately slow permeability, moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. The soils are rarely flooded for brief periods December through February.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for pasture, hay, and occasionally truck garden produce. Nearly all areas of this soil have had the native vegetation removed. The native vegetation is estimated to be a variable canopy of red alder, Sitka spruce, and black cottonwood with scattered willow and redwood, with an understory of blackberry, ferns, and grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California Coastal Redwood Belt and southern Oregon; MLRA 4B. The series is not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey of the Eureka Area, California, 1921. Name is from the town of Ferndale, California.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - 0 to 28 inches (Ap horizon).
2. Particle-size control section - the zone from 25 to 100 centimeters averages 23 percent clay and 3 percent fine sand or coarser (Ap, C1, C2, C3 horizons).
3. Fluvents feature: An irregular degrease in organic-carbon content between a depth of 25 and 125 centimeters

ADDITIONAL DATA: University of California sample 62-CA-12-013 was collected from the 1964 type location (Soils of Western Humboldt County 1965).

Soil classified using Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edition.
NASIS User Pedon #89CA600397

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.