LOCATION GARDELLONES             CA

Established Series
CKS/JBB/TKK/JW
10/2018

GARDELLONES SERIES

The Gardellones series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium over residuum weathered from metavolcanic rocks. The Gardellones soils are on hills. Slopes range from 15 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 740 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 16 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, thermic Ultic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Gardellones sandy loam on an east facing, linear, 50 percent slope under a mixed blue oak, interior live oak and foothill pine woodland at an elevation of 360 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on March 26th, 2010 the soil was moist throughout.)

Oi--0 to 1 cm; slightly decomposed plant material; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 3 centimeters thick)

A--1 to 9 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) moist; 15 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky parting to weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 4 percent subangular, indurated metavolcanic gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--9 to 28 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; 17 percent clay; strong medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine,fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular and few medium tubular pores; 40 percent faint clay films on all faces of peds; 40 percent subangular indurated metavolcanic gravel, 5 percent subangular weakly cemented metavolcanic paragravel; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt2--28 to 59 cm; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) very gravelly sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 22 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine irregular and few fine and medium tubular pores; 60 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 40 percent subangular indurated metavolcanic gravel, 5 percent subangular indurated metavolcanic cobbles, 10 percent weakly cemented metavolcanic paragravel; moderately acid (pH 5.9); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt3--59 to 82 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; 25 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 55 percent faint clay films on all faces of peds; 30 percent subangular indurated metavolcanic gravel, 7 percent subangular indurated metavolcanic cobbles, 15 percent weakly cemented metavolcanic paragravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt4--82 to 114 cm; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) very gravelly sandy clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; 26 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common medium roots; few fine irregular pores; 50 percent distinct clay films on rock fragments and 75 percent faint clay films on all faces of peds; 40 percent subangular indurated metavolcanic gravel, 30 percent subangular weakly cemented metavolcanic paragravel; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 70 to 120 centimeters)

Crt--114 to 123 cm; weakly cemented metavolcanic bedrock, fractured at intervals of 10 to <45 cm; 60 percent distinct clay films on rock fragments; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 centimeters thick)

R--123 to 203 cm; indurated metavolcanic bedrock, fractured at intervals of 10 to <45 cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Tuolumne County, California, approximately 2.5 km (1.5 miles) northeast of Chinese Camp; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Sonora, California; WGS84 37.883610 latitude and -120.409721 longitude; UTM zone 10 727788 meters E 4196058 meters N NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 15 to 17 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a thermic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to October. The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 5 to 18 cm
Argillic horizon thickness: 70 to 120 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 100 to 150 cm.

Some pedons may have a paralithic contact above the lithic contact.

Base saturation: less than 75 percent in one or more subhorizons of the argillic horizon (by sum of cations)

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, with 15 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 35 percent cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent stones.
Pararock fragments: 0 to 50 percent, with 0 to 50 percent paragravel and 0 to 35 percent paracobbles.
Clay content: 18 to 32 percent

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, silt loam
Clay content: 12 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent
0 to 25 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: slightly acid to neutral

Upper Bt horizons (Bt1)
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 2 to 6 moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam, silt loam
Clay content: 15 to 27 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
0 to 40 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Parafragments: 0 to 35 percent
0 to 35 percent paragravel
0 to 35 percent paracobbles
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Lower Bt horizons (Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4)
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 4 or 6 moist
Texture: loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, clay
Clay content: 20 to 45 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
0 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Parafragments: 0 to 60 percent
0 to 60 percent paragravel
0 to 35 percent paracobbles
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gopheridge, Hurleton and Oroshore soils. Gopheridge soils are 50 to 100cm to a lithic contact of metavolcanic rock. Hurleton soils are 50 to 100cm to a lithic contact of intrusive igneous rock Oroshore soils are 50 to 100cm to a paralithic contact of metasedimentary rock.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Gardellones soils are on backslopes and footslopes on hills. Slopes range from 15 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium derived from metavolcanic rock over residuum weathered from metavolcanic rock. Elevation is 220 to 800 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 500 to 900 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 13 to 17 degrees C. The frost free season is 220 to 310 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Auburn, Bonanza, Dunstone, Jasperpeak, Loafercreek and Motherlode soils. Auburn, Bonanza, Dunstone, and Jasperpeak soils, are less than 50 cm to a bedrock contact. Auburn, Bonanza, and Jasperpeak soils are on summit, shoulder and backslope positions and Dunstone soils are on toeslope positions. Loafercreek soils are 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact and are on shoulder and backslope positions. Motherlode soils have less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section and are on backslope and footslope positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately high to high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is moderately low to high.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed, and homesite development. Vegetation is blue oak, interior live oak, foothill pine, California buckeye, Pacific poison oak, and annual grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Foothills of California; MLRA 18. The series is not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Tuolumne County, California. Source of name is coined.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 28 to 78 cm.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 9 cm
Argillic Horizon 28 to 114 cm
Paralithic Contact 114 cm
Lithic Contact 123 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 10CKS008

No certified laboratory data exist for this soil.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.