LOCATION FIDDLER CA+NV
Established Series
Rev. TAC-JBF-TM-JVC
01/2012
FIDDLER SERIES
The Fiddler series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks. Fiddler soils are on hills, plateaus, and mountains. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 360 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 10 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fiddler stony loam--on a west-facing convex slope of 5 percent under mountain big sagebrush, western juniper, antelope bitterbrush, cheatgrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass at 1,445 meters elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on March 22, 1979, the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 20 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent stones and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (18 to 25 cm thick)
Bt1--20 to 28 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very stony clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
Bt2--28 to 53 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very stony clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (23 to 36 cm thick)
Bt3--53 to 66 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt irregular boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
R--66 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) hard fractured basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Modoc County, California; about 10 miles east of Tule Lake on a west-facing convex slope about 510 feet west of a dirt road; approximately 1,500 feet west and 1,900 feet south of the northeast corner of section 4, T. 47 N., R. 6 E.; USGS Newell 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees 56 minutes 45 seconds N and longitude 121 degrees 17 minutes 13 seconds W; NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Moist in winter and spring and continuously dry in all parts for significant periods in summer and fall; xeric soil moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 13 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 20 to 50 cm; includes the Bt1 horizon in some pedons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Other features: Some pedons have thin, transitional BAt horizons.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent;
Rock fragments: 35 to 55 percent, mainly stones or cobbles. Lithology of fragments is volcanic rocks such as andesite and basalt.
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 3 through 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Bt horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
Texture: Very stony clay loam, very stony clay, very cobbly clay, or very cobbly clay loam.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Ada, Current Spring,
Hiibner,
Immig, and
Provig series.
Ada, Current Spring,
Hiibner, and
Provig soils are very deep.
Immig soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 90 consecutive days during summer and fall.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fiddler soils are on hills, plateaus, and mountains. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks such as andesite and basalt. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 1,220 to 2,265 meters. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 460 mm including 380 to 640 mm of annual snowfall. The mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C. The frost-free period is 50 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Dunnlake,
Lorella,
Stukel, and
Dotta soils. Dunnlake soils are clayey, shallow to lithic contacts, and occur on plateaus. Lorella soils are shallow to lithic contacts and occur on hills. Stukel soils are loamy, shallow to lithic contacts, do not have argillic horizons, and occur on adjacent hillslope positions. Dotta soils are fine-loamy, very deep, have thick mollic epipedons, and occur on fan remnants.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; high or very high surface runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Fiddler soils are used for forestland and rangeland. The vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, mountain big sagebrush, western juniper, Thurber's needlegrass, and rubber rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern California and northwestern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 21, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 23.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Modoc County (Butte Valley-Tule Lake Area Soil Survey), California, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 28 cm (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 20 to 66 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 66 cm to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 20 to 66 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.