LOCATION HUNGRYGULCH CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Typic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Hungrygulch coarse sandy loam - on a northeast slope at 3,100 feet elevation under grass, oak and digger pine vegetation. When described, March 4, 1981, the soil was moist throughout.(colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A1--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 19 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) coarse sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
C--19 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine, and common medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent fine pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
Cr--26 to 60 inches; Partially decomposed granodiorite bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California. About 3.5 miles north of Miracle Hot Springs near Keyesville; 600 feet west and 200 feet north of the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of section 35, T26S, R32E, M.D.B.M. Miracle Hot Springs quadrangle; lat. 35 degrees 37 minutes 29 seconds N and long. 118 degrees 30 minutes 52 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches.
Soil Temperature - The mean annual soil temperature is 56 to
59 degrees F. The soil temperature is
greater than 41 degrees F. from about
Febuary 1 to December 15 (300 to 330
days) and is greater than 47 degrees F
from about March 1 to December 1 (250 to
290 days).
Soil Moisture - The soils are dry from about June 10 to
November 15 (140 to 160 days). The soil is
moist in some or all parts for 90 or more
days when the soil temperature is greater
than 47 degrees F.
Texture control section: 5 to 35 percent rock fragments
composed dominantly of fine
granitic gravel.
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
A horizon -Value: 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry and moist.
Textures: coarse sandy loam or gravelly coarse
coarse sandy loam
Organic matter: 0.5 to 1.0
Reaction: neutral or slightly acid
C horizon - Value: 5 or 6 dry and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry and moist.
Textures: coarse sandy loam or gravelly coarse
sandy loam.
Organic matter: 0.2 to 1.0
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Hungrygulch soils are on mountains at elevations of 2,800 to 4,600 feet. They formed in material weathered from granitic rock. Slopes are 30 to 60 percent. Rock outcrop and bouldery surfaces are associated with these soils in some areas. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 16 inches. The mean annual temperature is 54 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free season is 175 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kernville(T) and Hogeye(T) soils. Kernville soils are sandy and have a paralithic contact at 6 to 20 inches. Hogeye soils are thermic.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Hungrygulch soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and recreation. The vegetation is mainly pine bluegrass, big sagebrush, California scrub oak, digger pine, buckbrush and some blue oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Sierra Nevada Range in California. The soils are of small extent in MLRA 18.The soil is named after Hungry Gulch.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County, California. BLM South Sierra Foothills Soil Survey, 2005
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 19 inches (A1, A2)
Paralithic contact - 26 inches
Soil between 10 and 26 inches is coarse sandy loam and gravelly coarse sandy loam.