LOCATION GRIFFGULCH CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Griffgulch very gravelly silt loam on a southwest facing 47 percent slope under a cover of ponderosa pine, canyon live oak, whiteleaf manzanita, Pacific poison oak, buckbrush and deerbrush at an elevation of 2460 feet, (750 m). When described on 10/16/97 the soil was dry to 33 inches, (84 cm) and slightly moist to 58 inches, (147 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Oi--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); pine needles, twigs and leaves.
Oe--2 to 3 inches, (5 to 8 cm); partially decomposed pine needles, twigs and leaves.
A--3 to 7 inches, (8 to 18 cm); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) very gravelly silt loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; 26 percent clay; strong fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine to coarse vesicular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 35 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary. (Thickness of the A horizon is 2 to 5 inches, (5 to 13 cm) thick)
Bt1--7 to 11 inches, (18 to 28 cm); reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) very cobbly silty clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; 27 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine to medium roots; many very fine to medium, and few coarse vesicular and tubular pores; few faint discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 20 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--11 to 20 inches, (28 to 51 cm); reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) extremely cobbly silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 32 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine to coarse roots; many very fine, and common fine and medium vesicular and tubular pores; common distinct continuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 30 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--20 to 33 inches, (51 to 84 cm); reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) very cobbly silty clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 41 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine to coarse roots; many very fine and fine, and common medium vesicular and tubular pores; many prominent continuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 15 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt4--33 to 47 inches, (84 to 119 cm); reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) very cobbly clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 46 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine to coarse roots; many very fine and fine, and common medium tubular pores; many prominent continuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 15 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 10 percent stones; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary.
Bt5--47 to 58 inches, (119 to 147 cm); reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) extremely gravelly clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 46 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine to coarse roots; common very fine to medium tubular pores; many prominent continuous clay films on faces of peds; noneffervescent; 30 percent gravel, 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent stones; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 35 to 58 inches, (89 to 147 cm) thick).
R--58 inches, (147 cm); very strongly cemented metavolcanic bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 1.5 miles south southeast of Sawmill Peak, approximately 2150 feet north and 2050 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 5, Township 22 N., Range 4 E., 39 degrees, 47 minutes, 27.1 seconds North latitude; 121 degrees, 33 minutes, 3.1 seconds West Longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S. Quad: Paradise East, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic bedrock is 40 to 60 inches, (102 to 152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 53 to 59 degrees F, (12 to 15 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about July to about October (about 90 days). The particle-size control section averages 35 to 45 percent clay and 35 to 70 percent rock fragments. Mineralogy is mixed. Rock fragments on the surface range from 10 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones and 0 to 5 percent boulders.
The A horizon dry color is 5YR 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, 7.5YR 6/6 or 6/4. Moist color is 5YR 3/3, 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is silt loam, loam and gravelly and very gravelly equivalents. Clay content ranges from 18 to 27 percent. Rock fragments range from 10 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
The upper Bt horizon dry color is 2.5YR 5/6, 6/6, 5YR 6/6, 7/6 or 7.5YR 6/6. Moist color is 2.5YR 4/6, 5YR 4/3, 4/4 or 4/6. Texture is gravelly clay loam, very cobbly clay loam, very cobbly silty clay loam or extremely cobbly silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 27 to 35 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
The lower Bt horizon dry color is 2.5YR 5/6, 6/6, 5YR 6/6, 6/8 or 7/6. Moist color is 2.5YR 4/6, 5YR 4/6, 5/6, 5/8 or 6/8. Texture is very gravelly clay loam, cobbly clay loam, very cobbly clay loam, extremely gravelly clay, very cobbly clay or very cobbly silty clay. Clay content ranges from 35 to 50 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent gravel, 10 to 40 percent cobbles and 10 to 20 percent stones. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arrowhead and Soulajule soils. Arrowhead and Soujule soils are moderately deep.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Griffgulch soils are on ridge tops and side slopes on metamorphic Sierra Nevada mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 70 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from metavolcanic rocks. Elevation is 900 to 3600 feet, (274 to 1097 m). Mean annual precipitation is 45 to 65 inches, (1143 to 1651 mm). The mean annual temperature is 55 to 57 degrees F, (13 to 14 degrees C). Frost free season is 180 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Surnuf soils. Surnuf soils are fine and very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to medium runoff; moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon, moderately slow in the upper Bt horizon and moderately slow to slow in the lower Bt horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife habitat, home site development, watershed and some timber production. Vegetation is California black oak, canyon live oak, Douglas-fir, Pacific poison oak, whiteleaf manzanita, ponderosa pine, foothill pine, incense cedar, tanoak, Pacific madrone, California laurel, toyon, Purshs buckthorn, California scrub oak, deerbrush, lemmon ceanothus, California redbud, tall Oregon grape and sugar pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occurs in the M261EF (Metamorphic foothills) subsection of the M261E (Sierra Nevada) section. MLRA 22A - Sierra Nevada Range. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from Griffin Gulch on the Paradise East Quad.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 3 to 7 inches, (8 to 18 cm) (A).
Argillic horizon - zone from 11 to 58 inches, (28 to 147 cm) (Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5).
Lithic contact at 58 inches, (147 cm).
Particle-size control section - zone from 11 to 31 inches, (28 to 79 cm)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 13 to 39 inches, (33 to 99 cm)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference data from lab pedon number: 98P0291, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.