LOCATION FISHROCK CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, mixed, semiactive, mesic Lithic Haploxerults
TYPICAL PEDON: Fishrock loam - on a south facing slope of 2 percent under glossyleaf manzanita and California huckleberry at 1,200 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 12, 1984, the soil was moist throughout).
0i--1 inch to 0; fresh litter of manzanita and huckleberry leaves and twigs.
A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
Bt1--2 to 7 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; strong fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; common thin and moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; extremely acid (pH 4.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2--7 to 12 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many moderately thick and thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 10 percent hard, angular and subangular pebbles (2-20mm); extremely acid (pH 4.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
R--12 inches; hard fractured sandstone, fractures are 2 to 6cm apart and 1 to 2mm wide; few fine and medium roots and many thick clay films along fracture planes.
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; about 950 feet south and 250 feet west of the northeast corner, of sec. 8,T.11N., R.15W., MDBM, Gualala quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic contact and thickness of solum is 10 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 54 to 59 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 5 inches and the lithic contact is moist in all parts from November 1 to June 1 and is dry in all parts from July 1 to October 1 in most years. The weighted average particle-size control section is 35 to 45 percent clay. Base saturation (sum) ranges from 15 to 35 percent throughout. Reaction is very strongly or extremely acid. (pH 4.2 - 5.0)
The A horizon is 10YR 5/3, 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3, 4/4, 5/4 or 7.5YR 4/4 or 4/6. Clay content ranges from 15 to 27 percent. Gravel content is 0 to 5 percent.
The Bt horizon is 10YR 6/4; 7.5YR 6/6 or 7/6. Moist color is 10YR 5/4, 5/8, 6/6; 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6, 5/6 or 6/6. It is clay loam or clay with 27 to 50 percent clay. Gravel content is 0 to 15 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fishrock soils are on ridges and upper sideslopes of coastal hills and mountains. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 600 to 1300 feet. The soil formed in material weathered from sandstone or mudstone. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 45 to 55 inches. Mean January temperature is about 50 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 58 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is about 55 degrees F. The frost-free season is 250 to 320 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Iversen, Ferncreek and Quinliven series. Ferncreek and Quinliven soils are on marine terraces adjacent to the ridge system on which Iversen and Fishrock soils are found. Iversen soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Ferncreek and Quinliven soils are greater than 60 inches deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; surface runoff under bare soil conditions is slow through rapid; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for homesite development, watershed and as wildlife habitat. Vegetation consists of glossyleaf manzanita, Eastwood manzanita, Bishop pine, California huckleberry and ceanothus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern California on coastal hills and mountains. The series is not extensive. MLRA 4.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, Western Part, California, 1993.
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 soil:
1. Ochric epipedon - 0 to 2 inches (A)
2. Argillic horizon - 2 to 12 inches (Bt1, Bt2)
3. Particle-size control section - 0 to 12 inches weighted average = 40 percent clay
4. Soil moisture/temperature - xeric/mesic moisture control section is moist in all parts 210 days and is dry in all parts 90 days in most years.
5. Mineralogy - assume to be mixed but strongly influenced by kaolinite.
6. Many areas of Fishrock soil were mapped as the Noyo soil by the California Soil Vegetation Survey 1947-1950.