LOCATION FLUMEVILLE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, isomesic Typic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Flumeville clay loam on a northwest facing slope of 4 percent under annual and perennial grasses and forbs at 190 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described October 14, 1986 the soil was moist below 11 inches.)
A--0 to 11 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial and common fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt1--11 to 19 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films lining pores; common fine and medium prominent reddish brown (5YR 4/4) redox concentrations, dark reddish brown (5YR 2.5/2) moist; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--19 to 26 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) redox concentrations, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--26 to 33 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots, common very fine tubular pores; few moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redox concentrations, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt4--33 to 55 inches; white (5Y 8/2) clay, pale yellow (5Y 7/3) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redox concentrations, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 25 inches thick)
Bt5-55 to 62 inches; white (5Y 8/2) clay, light gray (5Y 7/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films lining pores; few fine and medium prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) redox concentrations, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; very strongly acid (pH 5.0)
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; about 900 feet north and 50 feet east of the southwest corner sec. 6, T.13N., R.16W., MDBM, Mallo Pass Creek quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches. The epipedon ranges from 0.6 to 4 percent organic carbon decreasing regularly with depth. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 50 to 56 degrees F. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature ranges from 6 to 9 degrees F. The soil between the depth of 5 and 16 inches is moist in all parts from November 1 to June 1. It is dry in some or all parts from July 1 to October 1 in most years. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 50 percent clay.
The A horizon is 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2; 10YR 4/1, 4/2, 5/1 or 5/2. Moist color is 10YR 2/1, 3/1, 2/2 or 3/2. Clay content is 27 to 35 percent. Base saturation (ammonium acetate) ranges from 50 to 70 percent. Reaction is moderately acid through neutral.
The Bt horizon is 5Y 7/1, 7/2, 8/2; 2.5Y 7/2; 10YR 5/1, 5/2, 6/2, 7/1 or 7/2. Moist colors are 5Y 7/2, 7/3; 2.5Y 6/2; 10YR 2/2, 3/2, 4/2 or 5/2. Redox concentration colors are 10YR 5/6; 7.5YR 5/6,5/8; or 5YR 4/4. Moist redox concentration colors are 10YR 5/6; 7.5YR 5/6, 5/8 or 5YR 2.5/2. Redox concentrations occur between 10 and 30 inches and continue to greater than 60 inches. The Bt horizon is a clay loam, or clay. Clay content ranges from 35 to 55 percent. Hard gravel content ranges from 0 to 10 percent. Base saturation (ammonium acetate) ranges from 70 to 100 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid through neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Flumeville soils occur on marine terraces. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. Elevations are 10 to 1200 feet. The soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rock sources. The climate is humid with cool foggy summers and cool moist winters. A strong marine influence limits the diurnal and annual range of temperature. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 45 inches. Mean January temperature is 48 degrees F., mean July temperature is 57 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is 53 degrees F. The frost-free period is 250 to 330 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Biaggi, Bruhel, Cabrillo, Crispin, Mallopass, Stornetta, and Windyhollow soils. Biaggi, Bruhel, Cabrillo, Crispin, Mallopass and Windyhollow soils are also on marine terraces, often in slightly higher positions. Biaggi soils lack mottling, are moderately deep to a lithic contact,and lack an argillic horizon. Crispin soils lack mottling and are moderately deep to a cemented pan. Mallopass soils are fine loamy and have mottles between 50 and 60 inches. Cabrillo soils have mottles between 30 and 50 inches. Windyhollow soils are fine-loamy and have mottles between 30 and 50 inches. Stornetta soils are on floodplains, are fine-loamy and lack an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; the soil is saturated with water for extended periods following episodes of heavy rain from December through April. The saturated zone starts between the depths of 12 to 30 inches and extends to greater than 60 inches. Surface runoff under bare soil conditions is very slow through medium. Permeability is very slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing and as wildlife habitat. A few areas are used for hay production and as pasture. Vegetation consists of perennial and annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern coastal California. The series is not extensive. MLRA 4.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mendocino County, California, Western Part, 1993.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are::
Mollic epipedon -- the zone from 0 to 26 inches (A, Bt1, Bt2)
Argillic horizon -- the zone from 19 to 62 inches (Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5)
Many areas of the Flumeville series were mapped as Noyo clay loam, clay subsoil variant in the Soil Survey of the Mendocino County Bottomlands, 1973.