LOCATION KANAWYER CA

Established Series
CES/JBB/JTW
09/2021

KANAWYER SERIES

The Kanawyer series consists of deep, well drained soils formed in till derived from granitic rocks. Kanawyer soils are on moraines in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 860 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 5 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic, frigid Vitrandic Humixerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Kanawyer loamy sand on a southeast-facing (121 degree), 15 percent slope under a canopy of Jeffrey and lodgepole pine at an elevation of 2394 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on October 3, 2014 the soil was dry to 150 cm)

A--0 to 4 cm; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy sand, black (10YR 2/1) moist; 80 percent sand; 15 percent silt; 5 percent clay; structureless single grain; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite gravel, 1 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite cobbles, 1 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite stones, 1 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite boulders; NaF pH 7.7; moderately acid (pH 5.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 30 cm thick) Lab sample # 15N02499

Bw--4 to 38 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 81 percent sand; 16 percent silt; 4 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite gravel, 5 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite cobbles, 1 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite stones, 1 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite boulders; NaF pH 10.2; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 50 cm thick) Lab sample # 15N02500

C1--38 to 117 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely cobbly coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 87 percent sand; 10 percent silt; 3 percent clay; structureless single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout, and common medium, coarse, and very coarse roots around fragments; many very fine interstitial pores; 25 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite gravel, 30 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite cobbles, 12 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite stones; NaF pH 9.8; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. Lab sample # 15N02501

C2--117 to 150 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 90 percent sand; 7 percent silt; 3 percent clay; structureless massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse roots throughout; common very fine interstitial and common medium and coarse irregular pores; 12 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite gravel; NaF pH 8.2;slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (combined thickness of C horizons is 25 to 125 cm) Lab sample # 15N02502

Cd--150 to 190 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely cobbly coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 92 percent sand; 5 percent silt; 3 percent clay; structureless massive; hard, very firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; common medium and coarse roots around fragments; common very fine irregular pores; 35 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite gravel, 25 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite cobbles, 5 percent subrounded indurated granodiorite stones; NaF pH 9.2; neutral (pH 6.6). Lab sample # 15N02503

TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California, Comanche Meadow, Kings Canyon National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Mount Silliman, CA; WGS84 36.712267 latitude and -118.685549 longitude; UTM zone 11 4064278 meters N 349457 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 0 to 8 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a frigid temperature regime.

Soil Moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 90 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Umbric epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm
Depth to densic contact: 100 to 150 cm

Reaction: strongly to slightly acid

Base saturation: less than 50 percent. (By ammonium acetate)

Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.40 to 1.0 percent (by weight) to a depth of 100 cm

Volcanic glass: 5 to 30 percent in the 0.02 to 2.0 mm fraction in an 18 cm thick layer within a depth of 75cm from the mineral soil surface

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, with 20 to 35 percent gravel, 10 to 35 percent cobbles, 5 to 35 percent stones, and 0 to 15 percent boulders.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent
NaF pH: 8.5 to 11.0

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 1 to 3 moist
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam
Clay content: 3 to 6 percent
Rock fragments: 5 to 50 percent
5 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 10 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders

Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loamy coarse sand, loamy sand
Clay content: 3 to 6 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent
10 to 35 percent gravel
10 to 35 percent cobbles
5 to 10 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders

C horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand
Clay content: 1 to 3 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 70 percent
10 to 35 percent gravel
10 to 35 percent cobbles
5 to 35 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders

Cd horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand, loamy sand
Clay content: 1 to 3 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent
20 to 35 percent gravel
10 to 35 percent cobbles
5 to 35 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Doncecil (T), Windowpeak (T), Pajo, and Tripod soils. Doncecil soils lack a densic contact in the series control section. Windowpeak soils have umbric epipedons greater than 50 cm thick and lack a densic contact. Pajo soils are 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact. Tripod soils have ashy textures in the A horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kanawyer soils are on linear to convex positions of backslopes on moraines. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. These soils formed in till derived from granite and granodiorite. Elevation is 1700 to 3175 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 440 to 1340 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 3 to 8 degrees C. The frost free season is 75 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Beetlerock and Windowpeak soils. The Beetlerock soils average less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Windowpeak soils have umbric epipedons greater than 50 cm thick. Both these soils are formed in colluvium and/or slope alluvium over residuum, and are found on linear backslopes of mountain slopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high or very high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the densic layer is moderately low to moderately high.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is red fir, lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, greenleaf manzanita, whitethorn ceanothus, Sierra currant, western needlegrass, and squirreltail.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are moderately extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from an historic camp in Kings River Canyon.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 100 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric Epipedon 0 to 38 cm
Densic materials 150 to 190 cm
Densic contact 150 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Lab Pedon #: 15N0492
NASIS User Pedon ID: S2014CA107004

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.