LOCATION GARCES CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Garces silt loam, on a slope of less than 1 percent in rangeland at an elevation of 235 feet. Common plants are red brome, atriplex spp., and filaree. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on July 24, 1974, the soil was dry throughout the profile.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) strong thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores, and common very fine and fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 1 inch thick)
A2--1 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick)
E--2 to 5 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) silt loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine, few fine and medium tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
Btnz--5 to 9 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong medium columnar structure; extremely hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many thin clay films on peds and few thin clay films in pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Btknz1--9 to 23 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films on peds and in pores; violently effervescent; carbonates segregated as few fine irregularly shaped soft masses; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)
Btknz2--23 to 37 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; very few thin clay bridges between mineral grains; strongly effervescent, carbonates segregated as few fine irregularly shaped soft masses; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 23 inches thick)
Bknz--37 to 55 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates segregated as few fine irregular shaped filaments; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear smooth boundary. (16 to 34 inches thick)
C--55 to 60 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; about 11 miles west of Wasco, about 2.5 miles north of Semitropic School; 2550 feet south and 1300 feet west of the northeast corner of section 30, T. 26 S., R. 23 E, MDB&M; Latitude 35 degrees, 38 minutes, 17 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 31 minutes, 50 seconds west; Lost Hills Northeast Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Mean annual soil temperature is 64 degrees to 68 degrees F. The difference between summer and mean winter temperatures is less than 40 degrees F. The soil temperature is always above 47 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 4 and 12 inches is dry in all parts from April 1 until January 1 and is moist in some or all parts for only 60 to 90 consecutive days from January through March. Organic matter content is less than 0.5 percent. These soils are typically effervescent below a depth of 10 inches and some pedons are effervescent throughout.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 7/1, 7/2, 8/3; 2.5Y 5/2, 6/2, 6/4 or 7/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/1, 3/2, 3/3, 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/3; 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2 or 4/4. It is loam or, silt loam. Clay percentage is 10 to 18. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline. Effervescence ranges from noneffervescent to strongly effervescent. The sodium adsorption ratio is 1 to 25. Electrical conductivity is 2 to 8 decisiemens per meter. Some pedons lack an E horizon.
The B horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 7/2 or 2.5Y 5/2,6/2, 6/4 or 7/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/3 or 2.5Y 3/2, 5/2 or 5/4. It is loam, clay loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clay loam. Clay percentage is 20 to 35. Structure is prismatic or columnar in the upper part and may be blocky in the lower part. Reaction ranges from moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. Carbonates are 0 to 5 percent. The sodium adsorption ratio is 13 to 100. Electrical conductivity is 8 to 16 decisiemens per meter. Some pedons have few to common filaments and veins of gypsum.
The C horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 7/2, 7/3; 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2, 6/2, 7/2, 7/4 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3; 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/2 or 5/4. Textures are stratified sandy loam to clay loam. Some pedons have a brittle layer or weakly to moderately silica and lime cemented soil material that does not meet the requirements of a duripan at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Some pedons have a lithologic discontinuity within this horizon, and this horizon is absent in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Casaga (NV), Corum (T-CA), Gothard (AZ), Leuhman (T-CA), Norob (CA) and Polvadero (T-CA) series. Casaga soils have a strong varnished desert pavement with a very gravelly A horizon and C horizons with 30 to 75 percent gravel. Corum soils are 20 to 40 inches to weathered granitic rock. Gothard soils are moist for 30 to 40 days in the summer and are moderately well drained. Leuhman and Polvadero soils have calcic horizons. Norob soils are moderately well drained, have soil temperatures less than 47 degrees F. and have mean summer and winter soil temperatures differences of more than 40 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Garces soils are on alluvial fans, terraces, and basin rims and have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from granitic rock sources. Elevations are 200 to 400 feet. The climate is arid with dry summers and cool, somewhat moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 5 to 8 inches. Mean January temperature is 45 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 83 degrees F.; mean annual temperature is 62 to 65 degrees F. Frost-free is 250 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kimberlina, Panoche, Milham, and Wasco soils. All these soils lack a natric horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high runoff; some areas are ponded; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Much of this soil is being reclaimed and used for irrigated agriculture. Where fully reclaimed the natric horizon is completely destroyed and the soil becomes the Gareck series (T-CA). In the native state some of the soil is used for livestock grazing. Vegetation is scattered saltbush with annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The southern part of the San Joaquin Valley of California. The soil is extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, California, 1980.
REMARKS: Some areas of this soil were originally mapped as the Pond series. Pond series is presently classified as having a xeric moisture regime. Reaction is by thymol blue indicator.