LOCATION HONEYDEW CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, mesic Typic Haploxerults
TYPICAL PEDON: Honeydew very gravelly loam--on a north facing convex slope of 68 percent under Douglas-fir and tanoak at an elevation of 1,400 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on September 9, 1981, the soil was dry throughout).
01--1 inch to 0; decomposed and partially decomposed Douglas- fir needles, tanoak leaves, twigs and bark.
A--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; 45 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
BAt--5 to 12 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; few thin patchy clay films on peds; 45 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
Bt1--12 to 24 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium and coarse roots; common thin clay films on and in pores; 60 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--24 to 31 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and few medium roots; common thin clay films on peds and in pores; 80 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 13 inches thick)
Bt3--31 to 36 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common thin clay films on face of peds and line pores; 60 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
R--36 inches; hard, fractured sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California; about 200 yards north of spur road between Little Finley and Big Finley Creek about 1.5 miles east from Paradise Ridge Road in the NW 1/4, SW 1/4, section 24, T.4 S., R.1 E., in Map Unit 126.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is about 54 degrees to 58 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 5 and 31 inches is dry in all parts from June 15 to September 15, and is moist in all parts from December 1 to April 15. The particle-size control section (5 to 25 inches) averages from 19 to 35 percent clay. Reaction of the solum is slightly to strongly acid.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3 or 7.5YR 5/4, 6/4 and moist color of 10YR 2/2, 3/2, 3/3 or 7.5YR 3/2, 4/4. Only the upper 1 to 5 inches have moist values and chromas of 3 or less. It is gravelly or very gravelly loam.
The Bt horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 6/6 7/4 or 7.5YR 5/6, 6/4, 6/3 and moist color of 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/4, 4/6 or 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6, 5/6. It is very gravelly clay loam, and extremely gravelly clay loam with 27 to 35 percent clay. Rock fragment content ranges from 35 to 80 percent. Base saturation by Hach kit (sum of cations), ranges from 11 to 28 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Kistirn series. Kistirn soils are deeper than 40 inches to metasedimentary bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Honeydew soils are on mountain sideslopes and narrow ridges. Slopes are 8 to 75 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from sandstone or shale. The climate is subhumid with warm, dry summers and cold, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 110 to 140 inches. Mean January temperature is 40 degrees F, mean July temperature is 70 degrees F, mean annual temperature is 55 degrees F. Frost-free season is 180-300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Whitethorn and the Pardaloe and Woodin series. Pardaloe soils are deep, lack an argillic horizon and have base saturation of greater than 60 percent throughout. Woodin soils lack an argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used mainly for timber production, watershed and wildlife habitat. Natural vegetation is Douglas-fir, tanoak, Pacific madrone, golden chinkapin, sugar pine, evergreen huckleberry, ceanothus species, poison-oak and brackenfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coast Range of northern California. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Humboldt County, California, 1985. Source of name is Honeydew Creek, Humboldt County, California.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
Last revised by the state on 7/85.