LOCATION GOULDER            CA
Established Series
Rev. TLH-DWB-JJJ
10/97

GOULDER SERIES


The Goulder series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in tephra over andesitic lava. Goulder soils are on mountains and lava plateaus. Slopes range from 2 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 45 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 42 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Ultic Haploxerands

TYPICAL PEDON: Goulder gravelly sandy loam on a north-facing 15 percent slope under a cover of white fir, sierra chinkapin, nuttall willow and western serviceberry at an elevation of 4,850 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described August 19, 1987 the soil was dry throughout).

Oi--1 to 0 inches; leaves, needles and twigs in various stages of decomposition. (0 to 3 inches thick).

A1--0 to 7 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); NaF pH 11.0; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick).

A2--7 to 17 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) cobbly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine and few medium interstitial pores; 14 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5) NaF pH 10.5; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick).

2AB--17 to 27 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) cobbly loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 14 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick).

2Bt1--27 to 41 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on ped faces; 15 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 15 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual irregular boundary. (12 to 15 inches thick).

2Bt2--41 to 58 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and few thick clay films in pores; 20 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.5); gradual wavy boundary. (14 to 20 inches thick).

2Bt3--58 to 64 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very bouldery clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few fine, medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; few moderately thick clay films on ped faces and in pores; 50 percent boulders; strongly acid (pH 5.2).

TYPE LOCATION: Shasta County, California; about 9 miles west of Dana; 2,600 feet south and 2,300 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 21, T. 38 N., R. 2 E., Pondosa SW (Burney Falls) quadrangle (7.5 minute series).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to bedrock is more than 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 is dry in all parts from mid August to mid October (60 to 90 days) and is moist in all parts from mid November to early July. Rock fragments, mostly gravel, on the soil surface, range from 5 to 15 percent. The mineralogy of this soil is dominated by allophane/imogolite.

The A horizon color is 10YR 3/3, 5/3; 7.5YR 4/4, 5/4; or 5YR 4/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 2/2; 7.5YR 3/4, 3/2; 5YR 3/2, 3/3, or 3/4. Clay content ranges from 9 to 20 percent. Rock fragments, mostly cobbles or gravel range from 15 to 35 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral and decreases with depth. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 15 to 30 percent. Bulk density ranges from 0.6 to 0.9. Aluminum plus 1/2 iron ranges from 4 to 5.5 percent.

The 2Bt horizon color is 7.5YR 5/4, 6/4, 7/4; or 5YR 5/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 4/4; 5YR 3/4, 4/3, or 4/4. Texture is very gravelly sandy clay loam, very cobbly sandy clay loam, very gravelly clay loam, extremely gravelly clay loam, very cobbly clay loam,or very bouldery clay loam. Clay content ranges from 27 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 35 to 80 percent in the lower part. Reaction is strongly to slightly acid. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 15 to 31 percent.

Andic property data (see remarks for explanation):
Depth P-ret B.D. pH NaF Glass Alo Feo 15 barH20
0-7 98 0.66 ND ND 5.09 0.84 21.6
7-17 96 0.85 ND ND 4.10 0.69 18.1
17-27 83 1.13 ND ND 1.42 0.31 17.5
27-41 70 1.26 ND ND 0.65 0.35 19.7
41-58 68 1.36 ND ND 0.55 0.27 21.2
58-64 66 1.26 ND ND 0.51 0.27 20.2

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Goulder soils are on mountains and lava plateaus. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. These soils formed in tephra over andesitic lava. Elevation is 4,400 to 6,800 feet. The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 35 to 50 inches. Snowfall is 70 to 96 inches. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 44 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 28 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 58 degrees F. Frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bundora, Mounthat and Obie soils. The Bundora soils are on lava plateaus, are medial over loamy-skeletal and have a buried Bt horizon. The Mounthat and Obie soils are on mountains, medial-skeletal and lack an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production. The vegetation is white fir, red fir, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, sugar pine, incense cedar, sierra chinkapin, snowbrush, snowberry, greenleaf manzanita, sierra gooseberry, and mountain whitethorn.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are not extensive, about 8000 acres. MLRA is 22.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shasta County, Intermountain Soil Survey Area, California 1994. Source of name is Goulder springs.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 27 inches (A1, A2, 2AB).

Argillic horizon- the zone from 27 to 64 inches (Bt1,Bt2,Bt3).

Andic properties data definitions:

P-ret: phosphate retention of the less than 2mm fraction.

B.D.: bulk density of the less than 2mm fraction on an oven dry basis.

pH NaF: pH of soil mixed with saturated sodium floride solution.

Glass: percent volcanic glass.

Alo: acid-oxalate-extractable aluminum of the less than 2mm fraction.

Feo: acid-oxalate-extractable iron of the less than 2mm fraction.

15 bar H20: dried 1500 kPa water retention as a percent.

Data elements with a * are estimated.

NC: not calculated.

ND: not done.

ADDITIONAL DATA: This pedon was sampled by the UC Davis Lab. Sample number is Lab # 1685 unpublished


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.