LOCATION KEHOE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Pachic Haplustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kehoe loam, on a northwest facing concave slope of 3 percent under brachen fern, wild iris, coyotebrush, soft chess, ryegrass, foxtail barley and plantain at 600 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described the soil was moist below 10 inches.
A11--0 to 11 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam; black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 13 inches thick)
A12--11 to 23 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; few very fine tubular, common fine and medium vesicular, many very fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 14 inches thick)
A13--23 to 34 inches; dark grayish brown and very dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2, 3/2) loam, very dark grayish and very dark brown (10YR 3/2, 2/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium tubular and vesicular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
C1--34 to 38 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium tubular and vesicular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (1 to 6 inches thick)
C2r--38 to 48 inches; massive soft weathered sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Marin County, California; 1.3 miles north of the Kehoe ranch milk house on Pierce Point road and 150 feet west of the road in pasture, in Point Reyes National Seashore.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 57 degrees F. and the soil temperature is usually not below 47 degrees F. at any time. The difference between mean summer and mean winter temperature is less than 9 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is usually moist in all parts from mid-November to mid-June. It is dry in some or all part of the rest of the time, but is not dry in in all parts for 45 consecutive days. Organic matter is more than 1 percent to depth of 30 inches. The soil is moderately acid or slightly acid throughout. Clay averages 18 to 25 percent in the particle size control section.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 4/1, 3/1, 4/2, 3/2 or 3/3 and moist color of 10YR 3/1, 3/2, 2/1 or 2/2. It has weak or moderate subangular blocky structure.
The C horizon has dry color of 10YR 7/2, 7/3, 6/2 or 6/3and moist color of 10YR 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 6/2 or 6/3. It is fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam and is massive or has weak fine subangular blocky structure.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kehoe soils are on coastal hills. Slopes are 9 to 50 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from sandstone and quartz diorite at elevations of 40 to 400 feet. The climate is subhumid mesothermal with cool, foggy summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 25 to 35 inches. The mean January temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F.; the mean July temperature is about 52 to 55 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 53 to 57 degrees F. The frost free season is 300 to 365 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Sirdrak and Inverness soils. Sirdrak soils have an umbric epipedon and have a sandy particle size control section. Inverness soils have an argillic horizon and an umbric epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for range and hay crops. Native vegetation is annual grasses and forbs. Once the area is taken over completely by the National Park Service, the area will be used primarily for recreation and wildlife habitat.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central coastal California. The soils are of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marin County, California, 1979.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET