LOCATION GAYSPASS CA
Established Series
Rev: JCR/LJL/ET
04/2015
GAYSPASS SERIES
The Gayspass series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium. Gayspass soils are on fan remnants. The slopes are 8 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 64 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Argigypsids
TYPICAL PEDON: Gayspass complex, 8 to 30 percent slopes at an elevation of 3280 feet. The surface is covered by approximately 80 percent gravel.
A--0 to 2 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; very slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 mm fraction); slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Btk--2 to 6 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; strong medium prismatic parting to moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 50 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds and pores and on sand and gravel; 1 percent irregular soft masses of calcium carbonate throughout; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (10 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 mm fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
Btky1--6 to 17 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; moderate very coarse prismatic parting to weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 20 percent discontinuous faint clay films on faces of peds and pores and sand and gravel; 3 percent irregular fine soft masses of calcium carbonate throughout; 1 percent irregular gypsum threads throughout; 5 percent gravel; strongly effervescent (8 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 mm fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Btky2--17 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 2 percent patchy faint clay films on sand and gravel; 5 percent fine irregular soft masses of gypsum in cracks (6 to 12 inches apart); 1 percent fine irregular soft masses calcium carbonate throughout; 3 percent gravel; very slightly and slightly effervescent (5 percent calcium carbonate equivalence in the less than 2 mm fraction); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2).
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 17.5 miles southwest of Ludlow, California and 1 1/4 miles southeast of Gays Pass; 200 feet east and 2700 feet north of the southwest corner of section 9, T. 5 N., R. 6 E.; 34 degrees, 32 minutes, 05.2 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 22 minutes, 01.8 seconds west longitude; Lavic Southeast quadrangle; UTM 11S, 0558075e 3821439n; NAS-C
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Soil moisture - usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature - 59 to 65 degrees F.
Base of argillic horizon: 4 to 10 inches.
Particle-size control section - Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel.
Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent.
A horizons - Value: 5 or 6 dry and 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2, 3 or 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 1 to 10 percent.
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline
Btk horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: Clay loam or loam.
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent.
Carbonates: 0 to 3 percent soft masses of carbonates.
Btky horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 10 percent.
Gypsum: 1 to 5 percent soft masses and threads of gypsum.
Carbonates: 0 to 5 percent soft masses of carbonates.
Reaction: moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gayspass soils are on fan remnants. These soils are formed in mixed alluvium. Elevations are 2,600 to 4,185 feet. Slopes are 8 to 30 percent. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 7 inches; the mean annual air temperature is 57 to 66 degrees F. and the frost free season is 180 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Eastrange and
Edalph soils. Eastrange and Edalph soils have a calcic horizon. Eastrange soils have sandy-skeletal control sections. Edalph soils have sandy control sections.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or high runoff; moderate or moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is creosotebush and white bursage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Marine Corps Air/Ground Combat Center Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is coined from nearby Gays Pass.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon--0 to 2 inches (A horizon).
2. Argillic horizon--2 to 6 inches (Btk horizon).
3. Gypsic horizon--6 to 60 inches (Btky1 and Btky2 horizons).
4. Particle-size control section--2 to 40 inches (Btk, Btky1 and part of the Btky2 horizons).
Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 3/2005. ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.