LOCATION HONEYLAKE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Honeylake clay loam--irrigated cropland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 5 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine to medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
A--5 to 16 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores and few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 11 inches thick)
Bw--16 to 26 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; many very fine, common fine, and few medium tubular pores; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bk1--26 to 35 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; many very fine, common fine, and few medium tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine and medium very pale brown (10YR 8/2) masses; common fine and medium faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bk2--35 to 41 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) and light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine and medium very pale brown (10YR 8/2) masses; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary.
Bk3--41 to 56 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; secondary carbonates segregated as common fine and medium very pale brown (10YR 8/2) masses; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 20 to 35 inches)
C--56 to 67 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) stratified coarse sandy loam, loamy sand, and fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; about 3 miles east of Buntingville, 0.25 mile east of Blickenstaff Road, and 200 feet north of Hemphill Road; approximately 1,000 feet east and 200 feet north of the southwest corner of section 8, T. 28 N., R. 14 E.; USGS Standish 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 17 minutes 34.9 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees 25 minutes 57.5 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The moisture control section is dry from June 15 to November 15 (153 days) and is moist in all parts from December 1 to April 15 (136 days). The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from April 15 to November 15 (214 days); Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 51 to 53 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 10 to 18 inches.
Depth to base of cambic horizon - 24 to 30 inches.
Depth to calcic horizon - 24 to 30 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: averages 10 to 18 percent; Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments is granite.
Ap and A horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry, 1 through 3 moist.
Clay content: 27 to 32 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 80.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent.
Bw horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 3 through 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry, 1 through 3 moist.
Texture: Sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Bk horizons - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
Texture: Sandy loam or coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Segregated as few to common masses and filaments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 15 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Occurs as few or common redox concentrations of iron in some subhorizon.
C horizon - Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry, 2 through 4 moist.
Texture: Stratified coarse sandy loam to loamy sand.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Salinity (EC): 0 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 4 to 13.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 2 to 5 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Occurs as few or common redox concentrations of iron in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beckstrand, Ironton, Maplecreek, and Syracuse series.
Beckstrand soils do not have cambic horizons and have sodium adsorption ratios of less than 5. Ironton, Maplecreek, and Syracuse soils have xeric moisture regime.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Honeylake soils are on lake terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from granite over lacustrine deposits derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 4,300 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, including 10 to 20 inches of snow. The mean annual temperature is 49 to 51 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 68 degrees F., and the mean January temperature is about 30 degrees F. The frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blickenstaff, Massack, Plinco, and Standish soils. Blickenstaff soils have seasonal high water tables at 3.5 to 5.0 feet and are on stream terraces. Massack soils are noncalcareous, have thick dark epipedons, gleyed C horizons, and are on flood plains. Plinco soils are noncalcareous, have thick dark epipedons, and are on fans. Standish soils have natric horizons and are on natural levees.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium surface runoff; moderately slow permeability in the surface horizons over moderately rapid permeability in the subsoil and substratum. A seasonal high water table is present between depths of 2.0 and 3.3 feet from the soil surface from March through May. A rare frequency of flooding occurs year round.
USE AND VEGETATION: Honeylake soils are used for irrigated cropland and livestock grazing. Common crops are small grains, pasture, and alfalfa for hay and seed. The vegetation in rangeland is mainly basin big sagebrush, basin wildrye, inland saltgrass, and black greasewood.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 1,200 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 23.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lassen County (Susanville Area Soil Survey), California, 2000.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 16 inches (Ap and A horizons).
Cambic horizon - The zone from 16 to 26 inches (Bw horizon).
Calcic horizon - The zone from 26 to 56 inches (Bk1, Bk2, and Bk3 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 24 and 40 inches (parts of the Bw, Bk1, and Bk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Bw and Bk1 horizons and parts of the A and Bk2 horizons).