LOCATION GAMBOGY CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Cumulic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gambogy loam, in a wheat field with a slope of less than 1 percent at an elevation of 247 feet. (When described on July 28, 1992, the soil was moist throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap1--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 9 inches thick)
Ap2--6 to 12 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Ap3--12 to 19 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 14 inches thick)
Btg1--19 to 28 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam, black (2.5Y 2.5/1) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine and common very fine tubular pores; common thin black (2.5Y 2.5/1) moist clay films bridging mineral grains and on faces of peds and few thin clay films lining pores; 1 percent gravel 2 to 4 mm; 3 percent manganese concretions 2 to 5 mm; strongly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated and segregated as few fine filaments; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist redoximorphic concentrations; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 18 inches thick)
Btg2--28 to 33 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common thin black (2.5Y 2.5/1) moist clay films bridging mineral grains and on faces of peds and few thin clay films lining pores; 8 percent manganese concretions 1 to 10 mm; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; common fine faint very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist redoximorphic stains and prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist redoximorphic concentrations; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Btg3--33 to 47 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular, few fine and common very fine interstitial pores; common thin black (2.5Y 2.5/1) moist clay films bridging mineral grains and on faces of peds; 6 percent manganese concretions 1 to 10 mm; slightly effervescent, carbonates are disseminated; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist redoximorphic concentrations; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches thick)
C1--47 to 55 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist redoximorphic concentrations; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 inches thick)
C2--55 to 72 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) moist redoximorphic concentrations; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear smooth boundary.
TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California; about 12 miles southwest of Visalia near the intersection of Road 28 and Avenue 264; about 1,400 feet south and 2,700 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 19, T. 19 S., R. 23 E., MDB&M; Latitude 36 degrees, 15 minutes and 56 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 31 minutes and 07 seconds west; Remnoy Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 65 to 68 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon: 25 to 60 inches thick.
Particle-size control section--Clay: Averages 18 to 35 percent.
Electrical Conductivity: 0 to 4 decisiemens per meter.
Sodium Adsorption Ratio: 1 to 12.
Redoximorphic features: Always occurs from a depth of about 19 inches to a depth of at least 36 inches.
A Horizon--2.5Y 5/2, and 5Y 4/1, 5/1 dry; 2.5Y 3/2 and 5Y 3/1 moist.
Texture: Loam in the upper part and stratified loam and clay loam in the lower part.
Clay: 18 to 27 percent in the upper part and 18 to 35 percent in the lower part.
Depth to carbonates: 0 to 10 inches.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
B Horizon--2.5Y 4/2, 5/2, 6/2, 7/2, and 5Y 5/1, 5/2, 6/2 dry; 2.5Y 2/2, 3/2, 4/2, 5/2, and 5Y 3/1, 4/1, 4/2, 5/2 moist.
Texture: Stratified sandy loam to clay loam.
Clay: 18 to 35 percent; the clay increase relative to the A horizon is always less than 20 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Organic matter content: 1 to 2 percent.
C Horizon--10YR 4/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/2 dry; 10YR 3/2, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4 moist.
Texture: Stratified sandy loam to loam.
Clay: 8 to 20 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
Other features: This horizon is absent in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bolfar series. Bolfar soils have segregated carbonates in the A and B horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gambogy soils are on alluvial fans and floodplains with slopes of 0 to 2 percent. They formed in mixed alluvium mainly from granitic rock sources. Elevations range from 190 to 270 feet. The climate is semi-arid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 8 inches. The mean annual temperature is 63 to 66 degrees F. The frost-free season is 250 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Biggriz (T), Colpien (T), Hanford and Nord series. All these soils lack aquic moisture regimes. In addition, Biggriz and Hanford soils lack mollic epipedons and Nord and Hanford soils have coarse-loamy families. Also, Colpien soils lack stratification.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; negligible to low runoff; moderately slow permeability. This soil is considered to be drained because of dams and reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, pumping from the water table, and filling and leveling of sloughs in the vicinity. Current depth to water table is greater than 60 inches.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for irrigated cropland growing cotton, alfalfa and grains. It is also used for dairy and cattle production and building site development.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southern part of the San Joaquin valley. The soil is not extensive. MLRA 17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tulare County, Western Part Soil Survey, California, 1999. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon -- the zone from the surface to a depth of about 28 inches. (Ap1, Ap2, Ap3, Btg1 horizons)
The Lakeside series in Kings County will be reclassified to be a competing series. The Lakeside, drained soil from Kings County that matches with Tulare County will be changed to Gambogy, drained.