LOCATION GOSCH CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Andic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Gosch gravelly sandy loam on a northeast facing 13 percent slope under a cover of mixed conifers and greenleaf manzanita at an elevation of 5740 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described August 8, 1985, the soil was dry throughout.)
Oi--1 to 0 inches; recent and decomposed pine and fir litter.
A--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel; NaF pH 10.0; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
AB--3 to 9 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely stony sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent stones, 25 percent cobbles, 10 percent gravel; NaF pH 9.6; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
2Bt1--9 to 22 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely stony sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many fine and common medium and coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films in pores; 40 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, 15 percent gravel; NaF pH 9.6; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.
2Bt2--22 to 32 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely stony clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common medium and coarse, few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films; 40 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, 15 percent gravel; NaF pH 9.6; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 18 to 30 inches thick)
2Bt3--32 to 50 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films in pores; 70 percent weathered gravel; NaF pH 9.6; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (13 to 28 inches thick)
2Cr--50 inches; soft weathered andesite.
TYPE LOCATION: Modoc County, California; about 17.5 miles southwest of Alturas 300 feet west and 1,350 feet north of the southeast corner of sec. 19, T. 40 N., R. 11 E., Alturas SW (Graven Ridge) quadrangle (7.5 minute series).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Laboratory analysis of adjoining soils, in addition to supporting field study place this soil into the Andic subgroup. Depth to a paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 46 degrees F. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from mid May to mid November and exceeds 47 degrees F. from early July to early October. The soil moisture control section (20 to 45 inches) is dry in all parts from early July to mid September (range 75 to 90 days) and is moist in all parts from early November to mid June. The upper part is more recent tephra with 15 to 80 percent rock fragments. The lower part is older and more strongly weathered tephra deposits with 35 to 90 percent rock fragments. The particle size control section (9 to 29 inches) averages 27 to 30 percent clay and 35 to 50 percent rock fragments, mostly stones and cobbles. NaF pH is 10.0 to 9.6 and decreases with depth. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 50 to 60 percent. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to moderately acid.
The A horizon color is 10YR 4/3 or 4/2. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2 or 5YR 3/2. Texture is gravelly sandy loam or very stony sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 12 to 15 percent. Rock fragments, mostly gravel or stones, range from 15 to 60 percent. Bulk density is assumed to be less than 1.0. Aluminum and 1/2 iron is assumed to range 1 to 1.5.
The AB horizon color is 7.5YR 5/4 or 10YR 4/4. Moist color is 5YR 3/3, 3/4 or 7.5YR 3/4. Texture is very stony sandy loam or extremely stony sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 18 percent. Rock fragments, mostly stones, range from 35 to 80 percent. Bulk density is assumed to be less than 1. Aluminum and 1/2 iron is assumed to range 1 to 1.5.
The 2Bt1 and 2Bt2 horizon color is 7.5YR 5/4, 4/4 or 4/6. Moist color is 5YR 3/4, 3/6 or 7.5YR 3/4. Texture is extremely stony sandy clay loam, extremely stony clay loam, or very cobbly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 35 percent. Rock fragments, mostly stones or cobbles, range from 35 to 90 percent.
The 2Bt3 horizon color is 7.5YR 5/4 or 4/6. Moist color is 5YR 3/4, 3/6 or 7.5YR 3/4. Texture is extremely gravelly clay loam or extremely cobbly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 27 to 35 percent. Rock fragments, mostly gravel or cobbles, range from 60 to 90 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baileycreek (T CA), Boundary (WA), Satus (T WA) and Weste (T CA) series. Baileycreek, Boundary and Weste soils are. Satus soils ?????.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gosch soils are on mountains. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. These soils formed in tephra. Elevation is 4600 to 6500 feet. The climate is semiarid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 18 to 20 inches. Snowfall is 48 to 60 inches. The mean annual temperatures is 40 to 45 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 32 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 60 degrees F. Frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canyoncreek, Hermit and Witcher soils. Canyoncreek soils are on mountains, have a mollic epipedon, are medial over loamy-skeletal, and are cryic. Hermit soils are on mountains have a mollic epipedon, are medial over loamy and are cryic. Witcher soils are on mountains, and are medial over-loamy.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production. Small areas are used for urban development. The vegetation is white fir, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, greenleaf manzanita, squawcarpet, bitter cherry, snowbrush ceanothus, and sierra chinkapin. Jeffrey pine, mountain big sagebrush, curlleaf mountain mahogany and mulears occur on southwest aspects.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are not extensive, about 4000 acres. MLRA is 22.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Modoc County, Intermountain Soil Survey Area, California 1994. Source of name is Gosch spring.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from 0 to 9 inches (A, AB).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 9 to 50 inches (2Btl, 2Bt2, 2Bt3).
Additional Data: Lab data fro U.C. Davis Laboratory, nearby profile Lab # 1688. The nearby pedon was from the Witcher series.