LOCATION GOOVAL CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Ultic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gooval cobbly loam on a north facing 5 percent slope under a cover of Oregon white oak, shrubs and annual grasses, at an elevation of 3240 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described October 22, 1986, the soil was moist to 8 inches and dry below.)
A--0 to 8 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. ( 8 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 14 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 20 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--14 to 23 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) very cobbly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films; 20 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 12 to 28 inches)
2Crt--23 inches; weathered fractured basalt with clay filling fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Shasta County, California; about 2.5 miles northwest of Burney, 500 feet north and 1,800 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 6, T. 35 N., R. 3 E., Burney northwest (Burney) Quadrangle (7.5 minute series)
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mollic epipedon is 8 to 12 inches thick. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 50 degrees F. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from early March to late December (about 300 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F. from mid April to mid November. The soil moisture control section (8 to 23 inches) is dry in all parts from early July to early November (110 to 130 days) and is moist in all parts from early December to mid June. Rock fragments, mostly cobbles, on the soil surface, range from 5 to 20 percent. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 50 to 75 percent.
The A horizon color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3; or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 2/2, 3/2, 3/3; or 7.5YR 3/2. Organic matter ranges from 2 to 6 percent. Rock fragments, mostly cobbles or gravel, range from 15 to 35 percent. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The Bt horizon color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3; 7.5YR 4/4, 5/4; 5YR 4/3, 5/3 or 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3; 7.5YR 3/4, 4/2; 5YR 3/3 or 3/4. Organic matter ranges from 0.5 to 2 percent. Texture is very cobbly or very gravelly clay loam, or clay. Clay content ranges from 27 to 55 percent and averages 35 to 50 percent in the particle size control section. Rock fragments, mostly cobbles or gravel, range from 35 to 50 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gooval soils are on lava plateaus generally on the leading edge of lava flows. Slopes are 2 to 9 percent. These soils formed in tephra. Elevation is 3100 to 3600 feet. The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 16 to 25 inches. Snowfall is 36 to 60 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 31 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 66 degrees F. Frost-free period is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Burney, Arkright, and Jimmerson series. Arkright soils are fine-loamy. Burney and Jimmerson soils are fine-loamy and are over 40 inches deep to bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow to medium runoff; slow permeability. A perched water table occurs at depths of 0 to 20 inches from early February through early April.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing and timber production. The vegetation is annual grasses with scattered Oregon white oak, ponderosa pine, Western juniper and shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are not extensive. MLRA is 22.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shasta County, Intermountain Soil Survey Area, California 1994.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from 0 to 8 inches (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 23 inches (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).