LOCATION HARRISRANCH CA

Established Series
Rev. KDA/BRY/KP/MRS
01/2023

HARRISRANCH SERIES

The Harrisranch series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum or colluvium derived from sandstone. These soils are on mountain slopes. Slope is 9 to 75 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 305 millimeters (12 inches) and mean annual air temperature is about 14 degrees C. (57 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Harrisranch sandy loam, on a 53 percent mountain slope with northwest aspect, under gooseberry, honeysuckle, basin wild rye, red brome, lily, wild cucumber, miner's lettuce, dandelion, blue oak, scrub oak, juniper, and sagebrush. The elevation is 1,253 meters (4010 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A--0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary.

Bt1--8 to 58 centimeters (3 to 23 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very coarse and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, common fine and common medium roots; common very fine interstitial, few very fine tubular, and few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films along surfaces of pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--58 to 109 centimeters (23 to 43 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine, few fine, few medium and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular pores; few, faint clay films on faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.

C--109 to 165 centimeters (43 to 65 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, few fine, few medium and few coarse roots; common very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California, Southwest Part; in map unit 670, Harrisranch-Rock outcrop complex, 50 to 75 percent slopes; within the Pleito Hills about 41 kilometers (25.5 miles) southeast of Taft; 335 meters (1,100 feet) west and 137 meters (450 feet) south of the northeast corner of section 25, T. 10 N., R. 21 W., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; latitude 34 degrees, 56 minutes, 02 seconds north and longitude 119 degrees, 4 minutes, 11 seconds west; USGS Pleito Hills, California, Quadrangle, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR dry and moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry and moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam or loam
Content of clay: 10 to 18 percent
Content of organic matter: 1 to 3 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Bt horizons:
Hue: 10YR dry and moist
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry and moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam or loam
Content of clay: 10 to 18 percent
Content of organic matter in the Bt1 horizon: 1.0 to 1.5 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR dry and moist
Value: 5 to 7 dry and 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam or loam
Content of clay: 10 to 18 percent
Content of organic matter: 0.2 to 0.75 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Central Point, Dehill, Edmundston, Imbler, Oak Glen, Ritter, and Vernado soils. The Central Point (MLRA 5) soils do not have a Bt horizon, formed in alluvium weathered from granitic and metamorphic rocks and have 0 to 3 percent slopes. The Dehill soils formed in alluvium material weathered from extrusive igneous rocks and are on alluvial fans. Edmundston soils are deep to a paralithic contact. Imbler soils formed in eolian mixed materials and do not have a Bt horizon. Oak Glen soils have hues redder than 10YR in the C horizon. Ritter (MLRA 10) soils have a cambic horizon and are stratified. Vernado (MLRA 15) soils are moderately deep to a lithic contact.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Harrisranch soils are on mountain slopes. Slope is 9 to 75 percent. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium derived from sandstone. Elevations are 704 to 1,794 meters (2,305 to 5,885 feet). The climate consists of warm dry summers and cool wet winters. Mean annual precipitation is 203 to 356 centimeters (8 to 14 inches). The mean annual temperature is 14 to 18 degrees C. (57 to 64 degrees F.). The frost free season is 150 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beam, Bitcreek, Zonap soils. The Beam soils on hills and mountains are shallow and have a loamy particle-size class. Bitcreek soils on hillslopes have a thermic soil temperature regime and a fine-loamy particle-size class. Zonap soils on hillslopes are moderately deep to a paralithic contact, have a thermic soil temperature regime, and have a calcareous mineralogy class.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for wildlife, watershed, woodland, recreation, and range. Main vegetation is gooseberry, honeysuckle, basin wild rye, red brome, lily, wild cucumber, miner's lettuce, dandelion, blue oak, scrub oak, juniper, and sagebrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the Pleito Hills at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in MLRA 15. The series is not extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California. Kern County, Southwest Part, Soil Survey.

REMARKS:

Mollic epipedon (Pachic) -- 0 to 58 centimeters (0 to 23 inches) (A and Bt1 horizons)

Cambic horizon -- 8 to 109 centimeters (3 to 43 inches) (Bt horizons). The Bt horizon does not have enough clay increase to qualify as an argillic horizon.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.