LOCATION HAPPYISLES CA
Established Series
Rev: DWS/JJJ/KDA/BRY/KP
01/2023
HAPPYISLES SERIES
The Happyisles series consists of very deep, well drained or somewhat poorly drained soils formed primarily in alluvium and minor amounts of colluvium derived from granitoid rock. Happyisles soils are on alluvial fans, fan aprons, flood plains, terraces, and drainageways of mountain valleys. Slope is 0 to 9 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 34 inches (864 millimeters). The mean annual temperature is about 54 degrees F (12.2 degrees C).
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic, mesic Humic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Happyisles sandy loam on a 3 percent slope under a mixed mature stand of Incense cedar, Black oak, and Ponderosa pine, at an elevation of 3,960 feet (1,207.0 meters). (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise stated. When described May 17, 1991, the soil was moist throughout.)
Oi ---0 to 3 inch (0 to 8 centimeters); slightly decomposed organic material. (0 to 4 inches [0 to 10 centimeters] thick)
A1---3 to 7 inches (8 to 18 centimeters); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy loam, variegated black (10YR 2/1) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky and weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches [10 to 15 centimeters] thick)
A2---7 to 13 inches (18 to 33 centimeters); variegated black (2.5Y 2.5/1) and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy loam, variegated black (10YR 2/1) and very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 8 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 20 inches [15 to 50 centimeters] thick)
A3---13 to 17 inches (33 to 43 centimeters); variegated light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) sandy loam, variegated, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; loose, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; common fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; less than 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches [5 to 15 centimeters] thick)
A4---17 to 33 inches (43 to 84 centimeters); variegated light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, very friable, non-sticky, non-plastic; few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.1); gradual wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches [30 to 50 centimeters] thick)
C---33 to 58 inches (84 to 152 centimeters); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) stratified loamy sand and loamy coarse sand, variegated very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; single grain; loose, non-sticky, non-plastic; no roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Mariposa County, California; at the lower edge of Eagle Creek, about 100 feet (30.5 meters) southeast of Northside Drive; Yosemite National Park; Yosemite Valley; Latitude 37 degrees, 43 minutes, 48 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 36 minutes 43 seconds west; UTM Zone 11, easting 269819.29 and northing 4179061.66; USGS Half Dome, California Quadrangle, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y (dry and moist)
Value: 2 to 7 (dry) and 2 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 1 or 2 (dry) and 1 to 3 (moist)
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sand, loamy fine sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 17 percent
Clay content: 3 to 17 percent
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 4 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 7.5YR (dry and moist)
Value: 2 to 4 (dry) and 2 to 5 (moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4 (dry) and 1 to 4 (moist)
Texture: stratified sand to fine sandy loam
Rock fragment content: 0 to 20 percent
Clay content: 3 to 12 percent
Organic matter content: 0.25 to 0.75 percent
Reaction: moderately acid or slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Happyisles soils are on alluvial fans, fan aprons, flood plains, terraces and drainageways of mountain valleys. Slope is 0 to 9 percent. These soils formed primarily in alluvium and minor amounts of colluvium derived from granitoid rock. Elevation is 3,870 to 5,431 feet (1,179.6 to 1,655.3 meters). The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 31 to 43 inches (787 to 1,092 millimeters), some of which falls as snow. The mean annual temperature is 50 to 55 degrees F (10 to 13 degrees C). The mean January temperature is about 36 degrees F (2.2 degrees C). The mean July temperature is about 72 degrees F (22.2 degrees C). The frost-free period is 100 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Half Dome soils. The Half Dome soils are on mountain slopes with slopes of 5 to 60 percent and have a loamy-skeletal particle-size class.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained or somewhat poorly drained; low or very low runoff; saturated hydraulic conductivity is high or very high. Rare and occasional flooding from upland runoff occurs for brief periods during the months of November through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife, and watershed areas and building sites. The vegetation is dominantly mixed conifers such as Ponderosa pine and incense cedar with varying amounts of black oak. When present, the understory consists of grasses, shrubs, and ferns.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: West side of the central Sierra Nevada Range, California, in Yosemite National Park. The soils are of small extent. MLRA is 22A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yosemite Valley Part, California 2007. Source of name is the Happyisles pedestrian bridge in Yosemite National Park.
REMARKS: All lab data from similar soils in the Yosemite Valley Part Soil Survey indicates isotic mineralogy. Happyisles soils have an umbric epipedon.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.