LOCATION HANGTOWN CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Hangtown gravelly sandy loam - on a southeast facing smooth, convex slope of 38 percent in a previously logged area at 6,800 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described October 24, 1979 the soil was moist throughout).
Oi--0.5 to 0 inches; fir needle litter.
A--0 to 3 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; 20 percent pebbles, 5 percent cobbles; strongly acid (pH 5.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 5 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 10 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; few very fine discontinuous random irregular pores; 25 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw2--10 to 24 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; strong fine and medium granular structure; soft, very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; 25 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
C1--24 to 35 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine, and coarse roots; 30 percent pebbles, 20 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.1) gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 16 inches thick)
C2--35 to 46 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very stony sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive, soft, friable,nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; 30 percent pebbles, 10 percent cobbles, 20 percent stones; strongly acid (pH 5.1). (6 to 12 inches thick)
Cr--46 to 52 inches; highly fractured metasedimentary rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Eldorado National Forest; Placer County, California; 200 feet west of Joe's Spring in NW 1/4 of SE 1/4, section 23, T.14 N., R.14 E., Wentworth Springs Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. The thickness of the solum typically is 18 to 26 inches but ranges from 14 to 31 inches. Cobbles and stones vary from 5 to 30 percent throughout the profile. Mean annual soil temperature is 43 to 47 degrees F. These soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section from about July 15 thru October 15 (90 days). They are usually moist in some or all parts the rest of the year. These soils have ochric epipedons with chromas of 4 either at the surface or within 3 to 5 inches of the surface. Reaction is slightly thru strongly acid throughout.
The A horizon dry colors is 7.5YR 4/4; 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/4, 5/3 or 6/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/4; 10YR 2/2, 3/3, 3/4 or 4/3 . It is a sandy loam or fine sandy loam, their gravelly, very gravelly or very cobbly equivalents averaging 8 to 15 percent clay, 10 to 30 percent pebbles and 0 to 30 percent cobbles.
The Bw horizon dry color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 4/6, 5/4; 10YR 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 6/6 or 7/4. Moist color is 7.5 YR 3/4; 10YR 3/4, 4/4, 4/6 or 5/4. It is a sandy loam or fine sandy loam with 10 to 15 percent clay. It is modified by 20 to 60 percent pebbles, 5 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 15 percent stones.
The C horizons has dry colors of 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 5/6, 6/3, 6/4, or 6/6. Moist colors are 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4. This horizon is sandy loam or fine sandy loam, averaging 10 to 15 percent clay modified by 15 to 35 percent pebbles, 10 to 30 percent cobbles, and 0 to 30 percent stones.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Althouse (OR), Ardtoo (ID), Beargulch (CA), Blackprince (T ID), Icicle (T WA), Jayar (OR), Jumpmore (T WA), Minaloosa (ID), notned (CA), Smokey (CA), Standup (T WA), Treble (ID) and Umpa (CA) soils. Althouse soils have textures of loam or silt loam throughout the profile. Ardtoo soils have 2C horizons within the series control section. Jayar, Kamela, Smokey and Umpa are all 20 to 40 inches deep to bedrock. Minaloosa soils have Bt horizons, lack sandy loam textures and are dry for 45 to 60 days. Treble soils have a Bo (B2ir) horizon and formed in glacial till material. These soils are Beargulch, Blankprince, Icicle, Jumpmore, notned and Standup ?????
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hangtown soils are on mountains. Slopes are 5 to 50 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from metasedimentary or metavolcanic rocks. Elevations are 5,500 to 8,000 feet. The climate is subhumid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 40 to 70 inches, most of which occurs as snow. Mean January temperature is 30 degrees F; mean July temperature is 60 degrees F. Mean annual temperature is about 45 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Tallac, Tinker, and Gerle. All have umbric epipedons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; runoff is slow thru rapid; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, wildlife habitat and watershed. Native vegetation is red fir, white fir, sugar pine, Jeffrey pine, huckleberry oak, mountain whitethorn, green manzanita, and lupine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The northern mountain area of the Sierra Nevada Range of California. The soils of this series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: El Dorado County (Eldorado National Forest), California, 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: The zone from the mineral surface to 3 inches (A horizon).
Cambic horizon: The zone from 3 to 24 inches (Bw1 and Bw2 horizons).