LOCATION HESSICA                 CA

Established Series
Rev. ET-CEJ-MAV-JBF
06/2016

HESSICA SERIES

The Hessica series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from mixed sources. Hessica soils are on stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 130 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 15 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Xeric Natrargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Hessica sandy loam - on a level stream terrace under black greasewood, shadscale, big sagebrush and alkali sacaton at an elevation of 1,186 meters (when described April 28, 1987 the soil was dry to 13 cm and slightly moist below; colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

A--0 to 5 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; moderate medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many fine and medium vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt smooth boundary (5 to 13 cm thick).

Btkn1--5 to 13 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate very coarse columnar structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common faint clay films in pores and few faint clay films on ped faces; slightly effervescent, carbonates segregated as few fine soft masses; sodium-adsorption-ratio of 13; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary (5 to 13 cm thick).

Btkn2--13 to 36 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, variegated dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films in pores and on ped faces; 2 to 5 percent manganese oxide stains on ped faces; slightly effervescent, carbonates segregated as few fine soft masses; sodium-adsorption-ratio of 13; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); gradual smooth boundary (18 to 28 cm thick).

Btkn3--36 to 46 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam; variegated dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films in pores and on ped faces; 3 percent manganese oxide stains on ped faces; slightly effervescent, carbonates segregated as common fine and medium soft masses; sodium-adsorption-ratio of 13; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.4); clear wavy boundary (8 to 20 cm thick).

Btkn4--46 to 76 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) clay loam; variegated dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films in pores and many faint clay films on ped faces; 10 percent manganese oxide stains on ped faces; slightly effervescent, carbonates segregated as common fine and medium soft masses; sodium-adsorption-ratio of 45; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary (20 to 41 cm thick).

Btkn5--76 to 94 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam; variegated dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak coarse and medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few distinct clay films in pores and common faint clay films on ped faces; 10 percent manganese oxide stains on ped faces; slightly effervescent; carbonates segregated as common fine soft masses; sodium-adsorption-ratio of 26; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); abrupt irregular boundary (15 to 25 cm thick).

BCtkn--94 to 112 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) sandy loam; olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few faint clay films in pores and on ped faces; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulations lining pores and surrounding roots; slightly effervescent, carbonates segregated as few fine soft filaments; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear irregular boundary (15 to 23 cm thick).

C--112 to 152 cm; light gray (5Y 7/2) silt loam; olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulations lining pores and surrounding roots; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Inyo County, California; 1.2 miles southeast of Monola; 500 feet east and 600 feet south of the northwest corner of Sec. 35, T.9 S., R.34 E., Waucoba Mountain quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 07 minutes 43 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 14 minutes 01 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 37.1286111 latitude, -118.2336111 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 15 to 17.8 degrees C. The soil temperature is below 8.3 degrees C from about December 1 to March 1, and is below 5 degrees C from about January 1 to February 1. The soil between the depths of 15 and 41 cm is dry throughout for 200 to 225 days from about May 15 to December 15. It is moist throughout for 65 to 80 days from about January 15 to April 1 and is moist in some or all parts for 70 to 85 consecutive days from about March 1 to May 15 when the soil is above 8.3 degrees C. Aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric. In some pedons there is a transitional AB or BA horizon. Below a depth of 94 cm redox concentrations are present.

The A horizon color 2.5Y 5/1, 6/2, 6/3, 7/2; 10YR 6/1, 6/2, 6/3 or 7/2. Moist color is 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2, 5/3; 10YR 4/2, 4/3 or 5/3. Textures are loamy sand, sandy loam or fine sandy loam. It is slightly effervescent to violently effervescent. Electrical conductivity ranges from 0 to 4 dS/m and sodium-adsorption-ratio is 2 to 13. Reaction is moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. Organic carbon averages 1 to 2 percent.

The Btkn horizon color is 2.5Y 6/2, 7/1, 7/2, 7/3; 5Y 6/2, 7/2; 10YR 6/2 or 6/3. Moist color is 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2, 4/4, 5/2; 5Y 4/2, 5/3; 10YR 3/1, 4/2, 4/3 or 4/4. Textures are sandy loam, silt loam, loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, or clay loam. It is slightly to violently effervescent and carbonates are segregated as common fine and medium soft masses and filaments. Some pedons contain up to 15 percent manganese oxide stains. Electrical conductivity ranges from 2 to 8 dS/m and sodium-adsorption-ratio is 13 to 25 in the upper part and 25 to 40 in the lower part. Organic carbon averages 0.5 to 1.5 percent in the upper portion of the horizon. Reaction is strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

The C horizon colors is 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2, 6/2, 7/2; 5Y 7/3, 7/2, 6/3; or 10YR 6/3. Moist color is 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2; 5Y 4/2, 4/3, 5/3; or 10YR 5/4. It is sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, or silt loam. Electrical conductivity ranges from 2 to 4 dS/m and sodium-adsorption-ratio is 2 to 13. Reaction is moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline. Sandy clay loam substratum phases are recognized.

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

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hessica soils are on stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in mixed alluvium. Elevations are 1,160 to 1,280 meters. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 150 cm. The mean annual temperature is 13.9 to 16.1 degrees C. Mean July temperature is about 26.7 degrees C and a mean January temperature is about 4.4 degrees C. The frost-free season is 140 to 180 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cartago (T), Eclipse (T), and Hesperia soils. Cartago soils do not have argillic horizons, are sandy and they are on fan terraces. Eclipse soils are also sandy and they are on stream terraces. Hesperia soils have coarse-loamy textural control sections and they are on stream terraces.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow and slow permeability. Flooded phases are recognized.

USE AND VEGETATION: Hessica soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is black greasewood, shadscale and alkali sacaton.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Owens Valley of east central California. The series is not extensive in MLRA 29.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Benton-Owens Valley Area, Inyo County, California, 1989.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 5 cm (A)

2. Natric horizon -- 5 to 94 cm (Btkn, Btknb)

ADDITIONAL DATA: The Btknb1 horizon was sampled by the National Soils Laboratory (87P4348).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.