LOCATION HICKSVILLE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Mollic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Hicksville loam - on a smooth, east facing slope of less than 1 percent under annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 80 feet. When described March 22, 1977, the soil was slightly moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
AB--5 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
Bt1--13 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots, common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few thin colloid stains bridging mineral grains; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--18 to 31 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; few light gray (10YR 7/1) dry bleached sand grains on ped faces; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and lining pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--31 to 43 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; common light gray (10YR 7/1) dry bleached sand grains on ped faces; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on ped faces and lining pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual wavy boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 16 to 35 inches)
BCt--43 to 65 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; many moderately thick strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay films on ped faces, lining pores and bridging mineral grains; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Sacramento County, California; about 1.3 miles northeast of Herald, 700 feet north and 800 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 5, T. 5 N., R. 7 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 25 to 60 inches or more. The mean annual soil temperature is 64 to 67 degrees F and the temperature remains above 47 degrees F throughout the year. The soil is dry between 6 and 18 inches in most years from June 1 to October 15, moist in all parts from December 1 to May 1 and moist in some part the rest of the year. Weighted average clay content of the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon is 27 to 35 percent.
The A horizon is 10YR 4/3, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3; or 7.5YR 3/2. Texture is loam, gravelly loam or sandy clay loam with 18 to 27 percent clay. Content of gravel is 0 to 35 percent. Organic matter is 1 to 3 percent in the upper 4 inches. Some subhorizons are massive and hard or organic matter content decreases with depth to less than 1 percent at 9 inches. Reaction is moderately acid or slightly acid.
Some pedons have an AB horizon. Color and reaction are similar to the A horizon. Content of clay is 1 to 4 percent greater than the A horizon.
The Bt horizon is 10YR 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4; 7.5YR 4/4, 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/3, 4/4; or 7.5YR 4/4, 3/4. Bleached sand grains with dry color of 10YR 7/1, 7/2, or 6/5 occur on ped faces of lower subhorizons. Texture is sandy clay loam or clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay. Content of gravel is 5 to 35 percent. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline. Base saturation (SUM) is 75 to 100 percent.
The BCt and 2Bt horizon is 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4 or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 4/3, 4/4; 7.5YR 4/4. Bleached sand grains with dry color of 10YR 6/3, 7/1 or 7/2 occur on ped faces. Texture is sandy loam or sandy clay loam with 15 to 25 percent clay. Content of gravel is 5 to 15 percent. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
A 2Bt horizon is present in most pedons that have gravelly textures throughout. It is 5Y 6/2, 6/3; 2.5Y 6/2; or 10YR 6/3, 6/4 or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 2.5Y 5/4, 6/3; 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/3 or 7.5YR 4/4. Coarse textured layers have bleached sand grains with dry color of 10YR 6/3, 7/1, 7/2. Texture is stratified loamy sand to clay loam. Content of coarse fragments averages 35 to 60 percent but is 0 to 35 percent in some subhorizons. Content of cobbles is 0 to 5 percent. Reaction is neutral to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Academy (T), Bellysprings (T), Burchell, Cajalco (T), Coarsegold, Honn (T), Jacinto, Modesto, Olashes, Perkins, Pinspring (T), Pleasanton, Rescue, Sobrante, Sodabay, Trimmer and Whitney series. Coarsegold, Trimmer and Whitney soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Burchell soils have a moderately or strongly alkaline argillic horizon. Jacinto and Pleasanton soils have 18 to 27 percent clay in the control section. Modesto soils have slowly permeable dense Bt horizons. Olashes soils lack bleached sand grains in the Bt horizon. Perkins and Rescue soils have a Bt horizon with hues of 5YR and 2.5YR. Sobrante soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Sodabay soils have 5YR hues throughout and are predominantly amorphous.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hicksville soils are on low stream terraces and on alluvial flats along drainageways of terraces and hills at elevations of 30 to 230 feet. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. The underlying consolidated sediments are also from mixed rock sources. The climate is subhumid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 16 to 22 inches. Mean annual temperature is about 60 to 61 degrees F; average January temperature is about 44 degrees F; and average July temperature is about 77 degrees F. Frost-free period is 250 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Columbia, Corning, Hadselville, Redding, San Joaquin and Pentz soils. Columbia soils have a coarse-loamy textural control section and are on low flood plains. Corning soils have a fine textured control section and are on high terraces. Hadselville soils are very shallow, have a mollic epipedon and are on hills. Redding and San Joaquin soils have a duripan at a depth of 20 to 40 inches and are on high terraces and low terraces respectively. Pentz soils are shallow, have a mollic epipedon and are on hills.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; very slow to slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. The soils are flooded occasionally for very brief periods during high intensity storms in December through April. A water table occurs in very deep pedons at depths of 60 to 72 inches for short periods in December through April. A perched water table occurs in deep pedons at a depth of 36 to 48 inches for short periods in December through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing. A few areas are used for irrigated hay and pasture and irrigated row and orchard crops. Vegetation is soft chess, wild oats, ripgut brome, needlegrass and filaree.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Low stream terraces and alluvial flats along creeks and minor drainageways of the eastern part of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley. These soils are not extensive in MLRA-17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sacramento County, California, 1985.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as the Bear Creek series in the Sacramento Area, California, 1954 Soil Survey Report.
The activity class was added to the classification in January of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 13 inches (A, AB)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 13 to 43 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3)