LOCATION GRIDLEY CA
Established Series
Rev. DJL/WBS/TDC
01/2023
GRIDLEY SERIES
The Gridley series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources. These soils are on low terraces and basin rims and have slopes of 0 to 1 percent. The annual temperature is 62 degrees F., and the annual precipitation is 18 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Gridley clay loam - on a nearly level slope of less than 1 percent in an irrigated prune orchard at 67 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on April 5, 1979, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
A--9 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--19 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots, common very fine and fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on peds and in pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5) gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
Bt2--28 to 37 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common pressure faces on peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
2Cr--37 to 62 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) siltstone, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; common fine strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) mottles lining pores; common moderately thick clay films on fracture faces; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Sutter County, California; approximately 1.9 miles north of the city limits of Yuba City on Frontage Road, then 200 feet east into prune orchard; 950 feet south and 150 feet east of the northeast corner section 3, T. 15 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 degrees to 65 degrees F. The soil temperature is above 47 degrees F. the entire year. The difference between average July and average January soil temperature is 30 degrees to 33 degrees F. The soil between depths of 6 and 17 inches is dry in all parts from June through October unless irrigated, and is moist in some or all parts from November thru May unless irrigated. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 5/2 or 7.5YR 5/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3 or 7.5YR 3/2.
The Bt horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/3, 5/3, 6/4, 5/4 or 7.5YR 6/4 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 5/4; 7.5YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/4 or 4/6. It is clay loam, clay, or silty clay with 35 to 55 percent clay, and a 5 to 10 percent (absolute) increase over the A horizon.
Some pedons have a calcareous C horizon above the 2Cr horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Fagan,
Gabino,
Los Osos,
Marcum,
Sespe,
Sween and
Todos series. Fagan soils are medium or slightly acid and are 40 to 60 inches deep. Gabino soils have 10 to 30 percent rock fragments in the solum, and 5YR hue in the argillic horizon. Marcum soils are 40 to 60 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Los Osos soils are well drained and have a difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperatures at about 14 degrees F., medium acid to neutral, and have slopes of 5 to 75 percent. Todos soils have Bt horizon hues of 5YR or 2.5YR. Sespe soils have hue of 5YR or 2.5YR in the Bt horizon, and have a difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature of 10 degrees to 17 degrees F. Sween soils have a lithic contact at depths of 24 to 40 inches and have a difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature of 19 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Gridley soils are on low terraces and basin rims. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources deposited over unrelated siltstone. Siltstone is fractured and mottled and is hard in the upper part, but becomes softer with depth and may be 2 feet to many feet thick. Elevations are 20 to 80 feet. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 16 to 20 inches. Mean January temperature is 45 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 77 degrees F.; and mean annual temperature is 60 degrees to 64 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 260 to 20 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the competing
Marcum (T) soil and the
Conejo,
Oswald (T),
Tisdale (T), and
Subaco (T) soils. Conejo and Tisdale soils are on alluvial fans and terraces, are fine-loamy, and lack argillic horizons. Oswald and Subaco soils are on basin rims and in basins and have clay textures throughout.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for irrigated orchards, grain, forage and row crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern and southeastern part of the Sacramento Valley. Soils are moderately extensive in MLRA 17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sutter County, California 1909. Series name is from the town of Gridley.
REMARKS: This series is being reactivated.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 11/83.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.