LOCATION IRONAGE                 CA

Established Series
Rev: PBF/CAH/ET
04/2015

IRONAGE SERIES

The Ironage series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in gneissic residuum. Ironage soils are on mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 100 millimeters (4 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 21.5 degrees C (70.5 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Ironage cobbles, on a southeast-facing, linear, 42 percent slope under desert shrubs at an elevation of 618 meters (2,002 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

C -- 0 to 16 centimeters (0 to 6 inches) cobbles; 20 percent fine gravel, 20 percent medium and coarse gravel, 35 percent cobbles and 20 percent stones; abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 16 centimeters)

A -- 16 to 22 centimeters (6 to 9 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few medium interstitial pores; 15 percent fine gravel, 15 percent medium and coarse gravel, and 10 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 6 centimeters)

Bkq -- 22 to 33 centimeters (9 to 13 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and very few fine roots; few fine interstitial pores; 20 percent distinct, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 5 percent faint, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silica coats on bottom of rock fragments; 15 percent fine gravel, 15 percent medium and coarse gravel and 10 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary.

Btkq1 -- 33 to 45 centimeters (13 to 18 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine and very few medium and coarse roots; 10 percent prominent, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay films on rock fragments; 15 percent prominent, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments; 5 percent, faint, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) silica films on rock fragments; 30 percent fine gravel, 30 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent (calcium carbonate equivalent of 5 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.

Btkq2 -- 45 to 60 centimeters (18 to 24 inches); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) moist; massive; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; very few fine and medium roots; 5 percent prominent, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay films on rock fragments; 10 percent distinct, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) calcium carbonate coats on bottom of rock fragments and 10 percent faint, fine, very pale brown (10YR 8/2), irregular calcium carbonate masses within the matrix; 10 percent distinct, light gray (10YR 7/2) silica coats on bottom of rock fragments; 30 percent fine gravel, 30 percent medium and coarse gravel, and 1 percent cobbles; violently effervescent (calcium carbonate equivalent of 19 percent); moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons 18 to 45 centimeters)

R -- 60 centimeters (24 inches); unfractured gneissic bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 4 miles southeast of the junction of Highway 62 and Iron Age Road; 25 meters (81 feet) south and 420 meters (1,361 feet) west of the NE corner of sec. 29, T. 1 S., R. 13 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 34 degrees, 3 minutes and 50.2 seconds north latitude, and 115 degrees, 38 minutes and 8.6 seconds west longitude; USGS New Dale, CA 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0625898e 3770083n (DATUM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some parts for short
periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative
between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a
typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 22 to 25 degrees C (72 to 77 F).
Surface rock fragments: 85 to 95 percent; with 25 to 65 percent gravel, 20 to
45 percent cobbles, 10 to 20 percent stones, and 0 to 5 percent boulders.

Control section
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent; with 30 to 60 percent gravel, 1 to 40
percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Depth to the upper boundary of a calcic horizon: 25 to 50 centimeters (10 to
20 inches).
Depth to the upper boundary of an argillic horizon: 25 to 45 centimeters (10
to 18 inches).
Depth to a lithic contact: 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches).

C horizon
85 to 95 percent; with 15 to 35 percent fine gravel, 10 to 30 percent
medium and coarse gravel, 20 to 45 percent cobbles, 10 to 20 percent
stones, and 0 to 5 percent boulders.

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 to 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy fine sand or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 6 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent; with 30 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 20
percent cobbles and 0 to 2 percent stones.
Effervescence: very slightly to strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bkq and Btkq horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 5 or 6 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist, 3 or 4 dry.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent; with 30 to 60 percent gravel, 1 to 30
percent cobbles and 0 to 15 percent stones.
Effervescence: strongly or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 5 to 25 percent.
.
Silica: 0 to 10 percent as coats on undersides of rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Chuckawalla (CA), Cololag (NV), Cristobal (AZ) and Pinamt (AZ) series. None of these soils have either a lithic contact within 100 centimeters or a C surface horizon with 85 to 95 percent rock fragments. In addition, all of these series are formed in alluvial parent materials and are found on alluvial landforms.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ironage soils are on mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 60 percent. These soils formed in gneissic or granitoid residuum. Elevations range from 350 to 850 meters (1,150 to 2,790 feet). The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters (3 to 5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 20 to 23 degrees C (68 to 73.5 degrees F). The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blackeagle, Bolero, Dalelake and Supplymine soils. Blackeagle, Bolero, and Supplymine soils are on similar landscape positions and Dalelake soils on sandsheets adjacent to, or partially covering, lower mountain slopes. Blackeagle, Bolero and Dalelake soils do not have a calcic horizon. In addition, Blackeagle soils are characterized by cambic horizons, Bolero soils have sandy-skeletal particle-size control sections and Dalelake soils have sandy particle-size control sections and are formed in eolian materials. Supplymine soils do not have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well-drained; high runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity above the bedrock and low saturated hydraulic conductivity within the bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: Ironage soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosote bush, white brittlebush, and burrobush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California; Soil Survey of Joshua Tree National Park Soil Survey, California, 2012. The name is from an historic mine site in the soil survey area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

C horizon - from a depth of 0 to 16 centimeters.
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 16 to 22 centimeters - (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 33 to 60 centimeters - (Btkq1 and Btkq2
horizons).
Calcic horizon - from a depth of 45 to 60 centimeters - (Btkq2 horizon).
Lithic contact - the zone beginning at 60 centimeters - (R horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 12476050-I.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 4/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.