LOCATION GOLDENBELL              CA

Established Series
Rev: CAH/PBF/ET
12/2015

GOLDENBELL SERIES

The Goldenbell series consists of shallow, well-drained soils that formed in alluvium from granitoid and gneiss with an eolian influence. Goldenbell soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 millimeters (4 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 21.5 degrees C (71 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic, shallow Argidic Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Goldenbell loam on a linear, 1 percent slope under desert pavement at an elevation of 186 meters (610 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

C -- 0 to 5 centimeters (0 to 2 inches) gravel; with approximately 10 percent fine gravel, 78 percent medium and coarse gravel and 10 percent cobbles; gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 9 centimeters thick)

Aq -- 5 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; 5 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silica coats on the bottom of rock fragments; very few very fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium and very few coarse vesicular pores; 4 percent fine gravel and 3 percent medium and coarse gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 5 centimeters thick)

Btq -- 8 to 29 centimeters (3 to 11 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 7 percent, faint, brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on ped faces; 65 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silica coats on the bottom of rock fragments; 15 percent fine gravel, 20 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 34 centimeters thick)

Bkq -- 29 to 40 centimeters (11 to 16 inches); very pale brown (10YR 8/2) moderately cemented very gravelly sand, very pale brown (10YR 8/3) moist; duripan with 60 to 70 percent cementation; massive; very hard, rigid and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 25 centimeters thick)

Ckq -- 40 to 74 centimeters (16 to 29 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 25 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/3) calcium carbonate coats on the bottom of rock fragments; 35 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silica coats on the bottom of rock fragments; 30 percent fine gravel, 35 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); gradual wavy boundary.

Cq -- 74 to 152 centimeters (29 to 60 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; 20 percent very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silica coats on the bottom of rock fragments; 30 percent fine gravel, 35 percent medium and coarse gravel and 2 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; from the junction of MWD Aqueduct Road and Rice-Desert Center Road, about 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) WNW along, and 50 meters (165 feet) north of, the MWD Aqueduct Road; about 727 meters (2,384 feet) north and 62 meters (200 feet) west of the SE corner of section 20, T. 4 S., R. 16 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 33 degrees, 48 minutes and 30.6 seconds north latitude, and 115 degrees, 18 minutes and 59.3 seconds west longitude; USGS East of Victory Pass 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0655827e 3742196n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some parts for short
periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative
between July and September following summer convection storms. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 22 to 25 degrees C (72 to 77 degrees F).
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Surface rock fragments: 90 to 100 percent; with 60 to 90 percent gravel, 10
to 25 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.

Control section -
Clay content: averages 18 to 20 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent; dominantly gravel.
Depth to upper boundary of an argillic horizon: 8 to 15 centimeters (3 to 6
inches).
Depth to upper boundary of a duripan: 25 to 36 centimeters (10 to 14 inches).

C horizon
90 to 100 percent; 60 to 90 percent gravel, 10 to 25 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.

Aq horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: fine sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 7 to 70 percent; with 7 to 65 percent gravel and 0 to 10
percent cobbles.
Effervescence: slightly to violently effervescent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
Other features: some pedons have vesicular pores in this horizon.

Btq horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 to 6 dry.
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 15 to 22 percent.
Rock fragments: 20 to 60 percent; with 20 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 15
percent cobbles and 0 to 2 percent stones.
Effervescence: very slightly to violently effervescent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bkq(m) horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 8 moist.
Chroma: 1 to 6 dry, 2 to 6 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sand or loamy sand.
Clay content: 1 to 5 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent; with 30 to 45 percent gravel and 0 to 10
percent cobbles.
Effervescence: strongly or violently effervescent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Cementation: weakly to strongly cemented, with 60 to 90 percent
continuity.

Ckq or Cq horizon (when present)
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist.
Chroma: 4 or 5, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sand or sand.
Clay content: 1 to 3 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent; with 35 to 70 percent gravel and 0 to 5
percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonates: 0 to 25 percent as films on rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Comobabi (AZ), Kenalduma (CA) and Sal (AZ) series. Comobabi and Sal soils are intermittently moist in some part of the soil moisture control section for more than 20 days cumulative from July to September. In addition, Sal soils are saline throughout. Kenalduma soils are usually dry in the soil moisture control section and are never moist for 10 or more days, cumulative, from July to September.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Goldenbell soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from granitoid and gneiss with an eolian influence. Elevations are 150 to 850 meters (490 to 2,790 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters (3 to 5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 20 to 23 degrees C (68 to 73.5 degrees F). The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Descent, Rainbowsend, Oldale and Carrizo soils. Descent soils are on adjacent ballenas and more steeply sloping, convex fan remnants. Descent soils are sandy-skeletal throughout the particle-size control section. Rainbowsend and Oldale soils are also on fan remnants. Rainbowsend soils do not have an argillic horizon and are shallow to an indurated pan. Oldale soils have less than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon and do not have a duripan. Carrizo soils are on adjacent alluvial fans and drainageways, do not have any diagnostic horizons and are sandy-skeletal throughout the particle size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; very low to low runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity above the duripan, low saturated hydraulic conductivity within the duripan and high saturated hydraulic conductivity below the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Goldenbell soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly sparse creosote bush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County, California, Joshua Tree National Park Soil Survey, 2012. The soil is named after a historic mine in the survey area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

C horizon - from a depth of 0 to 5 centimeters.
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 5 to 8 centimeters (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 8 to 29 centimeters (Btq horizon).
Duripan - from a depth of 29 to 40 centimeters (Bkq horizon).
Particle-size control section from a depth of 0 to 29 centimeters (A, Btq
and Bkq horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS Pedon User ID: EOVP03.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2012. ET

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.