LOCATION HELLFORSURE             CA

Tentative Series
JBB/CES/JTW
10/2019

HELLFORSURE SERIES

The Hellforsure series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from schist and metasedimentary rocks. The Hellforsure soils are mountain slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 10 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1175 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 0 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, isotic Xeric Dystrocryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Hellforsure fine sandy loam on an east-facing (110 degree), 20 percent slope under low-growing alpine perennial grasses and forbs at an elevation of 3304 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on July 6, 2013 the soil was dry to 15 cm.)

A1--0 to 6 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 2 percent clay; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent subangular indurated schist gravel; NaF pH 8.5; very strongly acid (pH 4.6); clear smooth boundary.

A2--6 to 15 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 2 percent clay; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent subangular indurated schist gravel; NaF pH 8.5; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 5 to 30 cm)

Bw1--15 to 33 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) channery fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 5 percent subangular indurated schist gravel, 10 percent subangular indurated schist channers, 3 percent subangular indurated schist flagstones; NaF pH 10.0; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary.

Bw2--33 to 51 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 6 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent subangular indurated schist gravel, 5 percent subangular indurated schist channers, 10 percent subangular indurated schist flagstones; NaF pH 10.5; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary.

2Bw3--51 to 78 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) stony fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 5 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 2 percent subangular indurated schist fine gravel, 5 percent subangular indurated schist channers, 5 percent subangular indurated schist flagstones, 10 percent subangular indurated schist stones, 10 percent subangular weakly cemented schist parachanners, 30 percent subangular weakly cemented schist paraflagstones; NaF pH 10.5; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bw horizons is 20 to 75 cm thick)

2R--78 to 200 cm; Indurated schist bedrock, fractured at intervals of 10 to 45 cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California, in Goddard Canyon near Hell for Sure Pass in Kings Canyon National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Mount Henry, California; WGS84 37.150506 latitude and -118.793772 longitude; UTM zone 11 4113074 meters N 340706 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is -1 to 6 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is more than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 100 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm
Cambic horizon thickness: 15 to 75 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm

Base saturation: less than 50 percent (by ammonium acetate)

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, with 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones, 0 to 15 percent channers, and 0 to 15 percent flagstones.
Pararock fragments: 0 to 35 percent parachanners and 0 to 35 percent paraflagstones.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent

A horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 1 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
0 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent channers
Reaction: very strongly to strongly acid

Bw horizons
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent channers
0 to 15 percent stones
0 to 15 percent flagstones
Pararock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
0 to 35 percent parachanners
0 to 35 percent paraflagstones
Reaction: very strongly to strongly acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Hellforsure soils are on backslopes of mountain slopes. Slopes range from 10 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from schist. Elevation is 2435 to 4070 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 790 to 1455 mm and the mean annual air temperature is -2 to 5 degrees C. The frost free season is 40 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Benchlake and Forgotten soils. The Benchlake soils are on structural benches of mountain slopes, cirques, and glacial valley walls and have a lithic contact within 50 cm. The Forgotten soils are on high-gradient drainageways on mountain slopes, moraines, glacial valley walls, and cirques, are greater than 150 cm to a lithic contact, and moderately well drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is moderately low.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is rosy buckwheat, cushion buckwheat, Parry's rush, purple mountainheath, spreading phlox, and bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are of limited extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Fresno County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from Hell for Sure Pass in Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 78 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 18 cm
Cambic Horizon 15 to 78 cm
Lithic Contact 78 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2013CA7921038

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.