LOCATION KELSEY CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Fluventic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kelsey fine sandy loam--on a flood plain of 2 percent slope; in an irrigated pear orchard at an elevation of 1,440 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 6/2/80, the soil was dry to a depth of 26 inches and moist below).
Ap--0 to 5 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine interstitial and few medium tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 18 inches thick)
AC--5 to 11 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
2C--11 to 26 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 21 inches thick)
3C--26 to 33 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak moderate subangular blocky structure parting to single grained; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 25 inches thick)
4C--33 to 43 inches; variegated and brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) and dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure parting to single grained; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent pebbles 2 to 10 mm in diameter; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
5C--43 to 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.3).
TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, California; 100 feet north of Scotts Valley Road at a point 225 feet east of the intersection of Scotts Valley Road and Hendricks Road; 2,600 feet south and 350 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 14, T. 14 N., R. 10 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is 10 to 26 inches and soil depth is greater than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 62 degrees F. The difference between the average winter and average summer soil temperature is 25 to 30 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 7 and 21 inches is dry in all parts from June 1 to October 15 and is moist in all parts from January 1 to March 30. Organic matter content is assumed to be 1 to 3 percent from the surface to a depth of 10 to 19 inches and is less than 1 percent below that. Organic matter content decreases irregularly with increasing depth. Reaction is slightly acid to slightly alkaline and base saturation, ammonium acetate, is 60 to 90 percent throughout. The particle-size control section is 7 to 18 percent clay and is greater than 15 percent fine sand or coarser. Rock fragment content averages 0 to 15 percent in the particle-size control section.
The A horizon is 10YR 3/2, 4/2, 5/2, or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/2 or 3/3.
The C horizon is 10YR 5/3, 6/3, 6/4, or 6/6. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/2, 4/3, or 4/4. It is stratified very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or gravelly sandy loam. Coarse fragment content is 0 to 25 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arroyo Seco, Goleta, and Pico series. Arroyo Seco soils have a difference between average winter and average summer soil temperature of only 16 degrees F. and a moisture control section that is dry in all parts from May through late October. Goleta soils are calcareous below 36 inches in some pedons and have a moisture control section that is dry in all parts from late April or May through November or early December. Pico soils are calcareous throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kelsey soils are on flood plains. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Elevation is 900 to 1,600 feet. The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches. Mean January temperature is about 42 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 68 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 55 to 59 degrees F. Frost free season is 150 to 210 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: There are the Lupoyoma, Still and Talmage soils. Lupoyoma soils are fine-silty. Still soils are fine-loamy. Talmage soils are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability. The soils are subject to brief rare periods of flooding during the winter and early spring.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used mainly for cropland producing pears, walnuts, wine grapes, and hay and pasture. Some areas are used for rangeland and homesite development. Natural vegetation in noncultivated areas is annual grasses and forbs and a few scattered valley oaks.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys of the Coast Range of northern California. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, California, 1983.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 3/84.