LOCATION GORGONIO CA
Established Series
Rev. AAK/GB/LCL
01/2023
GORGONIO SERIES
Typically, Gorgonio soils have dark grayish brown and brown, gravelly loamy fine sand, slightly and medium acid A horizons and brown, somewhat stratified; medium acid, gravelly loamy sand C horizons.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Fluventic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gorgonio gravelly loamy fine sand - annual grass pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A11--0 to 1 inch; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly loamy fine sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak platy parting to moderate crumb structure; soft, very friable; common medium and fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A12--1 to 7 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loamy fine sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak crumb structure; soft, loose; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
A13--7 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loamy fine sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak crumb structure; soft, loose; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
C1--15 to 29 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loamy fine sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grained; loose; few medium and fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); diffuse smooth boundary. (12 to 14 inches thick)
C2--29 to 44 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; single grained; loose; few fine roots; many fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); diffuse smooth boundary. (12 to 16 inches thick)
C3--44 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stratified gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grained; loose; many fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; about 2 miles east of Banning, California; approximately 900 feet east, 850 feet south of the W1/4 corner of sec. 12, T.3S., R.1E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F., and the soil temperature usually is not below 47 degrees F. at any time. The soil between depths of about 10 and 35 inches is usually dry all of the time from April or May until November or mid-December and usually is moist in some or all parts all the rest of the year. The soils are somewhat stratified; dominant textures are loamy sand, loamy fine sand, and minor strata are loam, sandy loam, and fine sandy loam. Gravel content ranges from 2 or 4 percent to about 30 percent. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages loamy sand or loamy fine sand with gravel. The soil ranges from neutral to medium acid and there is no consistent change in reaction with depth. The A1 horizon is grayish brown, dark grayish brown, brown or dark brown and the hue is 10YR or 2.5Y. Moist value and moist chroma are 2 or 3. Organic matter content ranges from 1 to 3 percent in the upper 10 inches and decreases irregularly to an average of less than 1 percent between depths of about 12 and 20 inches. The C horizon is brown, pale brown or light brownish gray.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Arroyo Seco,
Baywood,
Cajon,
Corralitos,
Mottsville,
Reiff,
Soboba, and
Tujunga series. Arroyo Seco soils have an average texture of sandy loam in the 10 to 40 inch section. Baywood soils have a regular decrease in organic matter and lack stratification. Cajon soils have an ochric epipedon and an aridic moisture regime. Corralitos and Tujunga soils lack a mollic epipedon. Mottsville soils have an aridic moisture regime and a mean annual soil temperature below 59 degrees F. Reiff soils have an ochric epipedon and average texture of sandy loam in the 10 to 40 inch section. Soboba soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Gorgonio soils are nearly level to moderately sloping. They are on alluvial fans at elevations of 20 to 3,000 feet. They formed in coarse textured alluvium derived from granite, granodiorite, schist, and related rocks. The climate is one of long, dry summers and cold, moist winters with an average annual precipitation of 10 to 25 inches. The average January temperature is 45 degrees F., the average July temperature is about 75 degrees F., and the average annual temperature is 57 to 62 degrees F. The freeze-free season is about 250 to 310 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Arroyo Seco,
Soboba, and
Tujunga soils and the
Crouch,
Elder,
Hanford,
Glenbrook,
San Andreas, and
Sheridan soils. Crouch, Glenbrook, San Andreas, and Sheridan soils have a paralithic contact of weathered bedrock. Elder and Hanford soils are sandy loam in the 10 to 40 inch section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; slow or medium runoff; rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: They are used mostly for range. Some areas are cultivated for growing grain and hay. Principal native plants are annual grasses and forbs with a few scattered oak trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Near the mountains in southern and central coast areas of California. The series is of moderate extent.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Monterey County, California, 1972.
REMARKS: The Gorgonio soils would have been classified as Alluvial soils.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 8/72.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.