LOCATION HELY CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Humic Dystrudepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Hely loam - forested. (Colors for dry conditions unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 7 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common fine and plentiful very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick).
A3--7 to 15 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) heavy loam (near sandy clay loam), dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on ped faces; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick).
B2--15 to 25 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/3) heavy loam (near sandy clay loam), brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine few medium and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; many thin clay films on ped faces; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick).
B3--25 to 45 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few very fine and coarse roots; many very fine interstitial, common very fine tubular and few fine tubular pores; many thin clay films on ped faces; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 23 inches thick).
C1--45 to 56 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; very few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 35 inches thick).
Cr--56 to 65 inches; weathered, soft fine sandstone; yellowish brown; massive.
TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California. Seven miles ESE of Carlotta on Redwood House Road, Sec. 3, T1N, R2E, H.M. Northwest upper slope of 53 percent, 1,200 feet elevation.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils have umbric epipedons (B.S.<50 percent in some part), cambic horizons with base saturation less than 35 percent. The soils are usually moist and not dry for 60 consecutive days. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 degrees to 59 degrees F. and there is less than 9 degrees F. difference between mean winter and mean summer soil temperature. The mineralogy of the clay fraction is high in vermiculite. Thickness of the solum is 20 to 46 inches. Depth to the paralithic contact is 20 to over 60 inches. Reaction decreases with depth.
The A horizon ranges in color from brown to dark brown (7.5YR hue); in texture from fine sandy loam to loam, in reaction from medium to slightly acid (pH 6.0 to 6.1).
The B2 horizon ranges in color from brown to light yellowish brown (7.5YR and 10YR hues) and brown to dark brown and reddish brown (7.5YR and 5YR hues) moist; in texture from loam, sandy clay loam and heavy silt loam; in reaction from slightly to strongly acid (pH 6.1-5.5), acidity increasing with depth.
The B2 horizon may rest directly on the weathered soft sandstone (paralithic contact) or a light yellowish brown, strongly acid upper C horizon may be present. The underlying substratum may be soft sandstone, conglomerate or wind-modified sands.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in the same family. Similar soil in another family are Tonini soils which have coarse loamy control sections. Similar soils in other groups are Melbourne which have silty clay argillic horizons; Empire and Larabee which have argillic horizons; Goldridge which have ochric epipedons and argillic horizons. Hugo, Sheetiron and Tish Tang soils are dry for 60 consecutive days in most years and have more than 9 degrees F. difference between mean annual winter and summer soil temperatures.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Hely soils occur on steep to very steep uplands underlain by soft sandstone. Slopes range from 30 to 70 percent. They occur at elevations of sea level to 1,300 feet in a humid mesothermal climate with mean annual rainfall of 40 to 90 inches, with nearly rainless, foggy summers and cool, wet winters. Mean annual temperature is about 53 degrees F., average January temperature about 48 degrees F., and average July temperature about 57 degrees F. Frost-free season averages about 225 to 275 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Tonini, Empire and Larabee.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained with rapid to moderately rapid permeability and slow to medium runoff.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, recreation, wildlife and watershed. Vegetation consists of redwood, Douglas fir and associated hardwoods and shrubs as understory.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Along the northern California Coast. The soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Humboldt County, California, 1957. State Cooperative Soil-Vegetation Survey. Name from Hely Creek.
REMARKS: The soils were formerly classified in the Reddish Brown Lateritic group. The classification was updated in February 2001 using the Eighth Edition to Soil Taxonomy. This series was formerly classified as fine-loamy, mixed, isomesic Typic Humitropepts. Competing series were not checked at that time.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last major revision by state on 8/67.