LOCATION HONLAK CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Natrargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Honlak loam--on a nearly level area with 1 percent slope under black greasewood and inland saltgrass. (When described on September 12, 1983, the soil was nearly dry from a depth of 0 to 40 inches and saturated below a depth of 40 inches. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
An--0 to 4 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; surface has a crust of white salt; very slightly saline (EC 2 mmhos/cm); moderately sodic (SAR 18); violently effervescent; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
BAtn--4 to 13 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine, and many medium roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial pores; common faint clay films bridging mineral grains; slightly saline (EC 5 mmhos/cm); strongly sodic (SAR 33); violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Btkn1--13 to 20 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) inped and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) exped, sandy clay loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) inped and pale brown (10YR 6/3) exped moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in few fine masses; moderately saline (EC 12 mmhos/cm); strongly sodic (SAR 120); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary.
Btkn2--20 to 28 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in few fine masses; moderately saline (EC 11 mmhos/cm); strongly sodic (SAR 195); strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Btkn horizons is 10 to 24 inches).
Bkqn1--28 to 35 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) paragravelly coarse sandy loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent hard and firm, 5 to 20 mm durinodes which are coated with opal; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in few fine masses; slightly saline (EC 5 mmhos/cm); strongly sodic (SAR 100); moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary.
Bkqn2--35 to 46 inches; variegated pale olive (5Y 6/3) and pale yellow (5Y 7/4) paragravelly loam, olive (5Y 4/3 and 5Y 5/4) moist; strong medium platy structure; slightly hard, brittle, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; discontinuous glassy luster on surface of plates; weak discontinuous silica cementation, 30 percent hard and firm 5 to 20 mm durinodes which are coated with opal; violently effervescent; secondary carbonates segregated in common fine masses; slightly saline (EC 6 mmhos/cm); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bkqn horizons is 8 to 18 inches)
C--46 to 60 inches; pale yellow (5Y 7/3) sandy loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; strongly saline (EC 31 mmhos/cm); moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; in Honey Lake Valley about 1.4 miles north of County Road A25 on St. Jacques Road and 50 feet east of this road; approximately 1,400 feet east and 1,750 feet south of the northwest corner of section 31, T. 27 N., R. 16 E.; USGS Herlong 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 40 degrees 09 minutes 15 seconds north latitude and 120 degrees 13 minutes 22 seconds west longitude, NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - These soils are dry in all parts of the soil moisture control section (6 to 15 inches) from June 1 to November 15 (167 days) and moist in all parts from December 1 to April 15; Aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 53 to 56 degrees F.; The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from March 1 to December 1 (275 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F. from April 15 to November 1.
Depth to base of natric horizon - 20 to 30 inches.
Depth to durinodes or weak silica cementation - 22 to 32 inches.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 25 to 30 percent.
An horizon
Dry colors: 10YR 7/2, 7/1 or 2.5Y 7/2.
Moist colors: 10YR 5/3, 5/2, or 2.5Y 5/2.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 4 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Effervescence: Strong or violent.
BAtn and Btkn horizons
Dry colors: 10YR 8/3, 7/2, 6/3, 6/2, 5/3 or 2.5Y 6/2.
Moist colors: 10YR 6/3, 5/3, 5/2; 2.5Y 6/4 or 4/2.
Texture: Loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 50 to 200.
Effervescence: Strong or violent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Bkqn horizons
Dry colors: 2.5Y 8/4, 6/4; 5Y 7/4, 7/3 or 6/3.
Moist colors: 2.5Y 6/4, 5/4; 5Y 6/4, 5/4, 5/3 or 4/3.
Texture: Coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam with paragravelly or very paragravelly modifiers.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 50.
Effervescence: Strong or violent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 or 2 percent.
Durinodes: 20 to 35 percent.
Other features: Some pedons contain segregated gypsum.
C horizon (when present)
Dry colors: 5Y 7/4 or 7/3.
Moist colors: 5Y 6/4 or 5/3.
Texture: Loamy coarse sand or sandy loam.
Salinity (EC): 16 to 32 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 30 to 50.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Garsox and Gurdugee series.
Garsox soils have mean annual soil temperature of 51 to 53 degrees F., have calcic horizons, and have accumulation of secondary silica at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Gurdugee soils have the base of the natric horizon at 10 to 20 inches and have sodium adsorption ratio of less than 50 in the natric horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Honlak soils are on low stream terraces. These soils formed in alluvium derived from granitic and volcanic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 4,100 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches, the mean annual temperature is 49 to 52 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Herjun, Springmeyer, and Zorravista soils. These soils do not have natric horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; medium surface runoff; slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity). Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 1.7 and 3.3 feet (moderately deep free water occurrence class) between December and May. Cumulative annual duration class is Common. Drained areas lack endosaturation within 6 feet of the soil surface.
USE AND VEGETATION: Honlak soils are used as rangeland. The vegetation is mainly black greasewood and inland saltgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 3,200 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:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 4 inches (An horizon).
Natric horizon - The zone from 4 to 28 inches (BAtn, Btkn1, and Btkn2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 13 to 46 inches (Btkn1, Btkn2, Bkqn1, and Bkqn2 horizons).
Durinodes- The zone from 28 to 46 inches (Bkqn1 and Bkqn2 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 20 and 40 inches at certain times during normal years (parts of the Btkn1, Btkn2, Bkqn1, and Bkqn2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 4 to 24 inches (BAtn and Btkn1 horizons and part of the Btkn2 horizon).