LOCATION KENYPEAK CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kenypeak gravelly fine sandy loam on a convex, 31 percent, east-northeast facing slope under big sagebrush pinyon pine at an elevation of 7280 feet. When described on September 30, 1997, the soil was moist throughout. Surface has a cover of 4 percent stones, 12 percent cobbles and 58 percent gravel.(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) gravelly fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky and moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; 30 percent angular gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 4 inches thick)
A2--3 to 12 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine and fine tubular pores; few distinct patchy organic coats in root channels and pores; 46 percent angular gravel and 22 percent angular cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt irregular boundary.
R1--12 to 14 inches; fractured schist and metasedimentary rock;4 to 8 inches between cracks; slightly acid (pH 6.5).
R2--14 to 18 inches; fractured hard interbedded metasedimentary rock and schist. Cracks, which are penetrated by roots, are 8 or more inches apart.
TYPE LOCATION: about 5.7 miles WNW of the Chimney Peak Fire Station, about 2.2 miles NW of Bear Mountain; about 7.6 miles north of the Kern County Line and about 3.1 miles east of the Sequoia National Forest boundary. 220 feet due south of easternmost point along a 180 degree bend west of the Chimney Peak road, going toward Rockhouse Basin. Area is not sectionalized. 35 degrees 53 minutes 55.0 seconds N latitude and 118 degrees 6 minutes 33.0 seconds W longitude. Sacatar Canyon topographic quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August 1 to September 30 and is moist in all parts from about December 15 to April 30.
The surface is covered with 0 to 5 percent boulders, 0 to 10 percent stones, 1 to 30 percent cobbles and 10 to 60 percent gravel.
The A horizon has dry color 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 2/2. 3/2 or 3/3. Texture is gravelly, very gravelly, very cobbly or very channery sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam with 5 to 15 percent clay. It has from 35 to 60 percent rock fragments with 0 to 5 percent boulders, 0 to 10 percent stones, 2 to 30 percent cobbles and 5 to 50 percent angular gravel or channers.
The C horizon, where present, has a dry color of 10YR 5/3 or 5/4 and a moist color of 10YR 3/3. Texture is very cobbly fine sandy loam or loam with 5 to 15 percent clay. It has 35 to 60 percent rock fragments with 0 to 5 percent boulders, 0 to 10 percent stones, 25 to 40 percent cobbles and 20 to 35 percent angular gravel or channers.
Depth to a lithic contact is 6 to 20 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Agassiz, Alomax (T), Anatone, Bluecanyon (T), Bocker, Cedaran, Dipcreek (T), Falula, Foxol, Gando, Gomine (T), Grink, Hogsby, Little Pole, Nayrib, Onaqui, Rexmont, Swanner and Van Wagoner series. The Agassiz series is formed from weathered limestone and has more than 18 percent clay in the control section. The Alomax series is formed from Andesite and basalt and does not have very gravelly textures. The Anatone series are formed from basalt, andesite or welded tuff and have siltier textures. The Bluecanyon series has a cambic horizon and has high silt contents. The Bocker series is formed from basalt and loess and has a cambic horizon and it has more than 18 percent clay in the control section. The Cedaran series has more than 18 percent clay in the control section. The Dipcreek series is formed from sandstone, has a cambic horizon and does not have less than 60 percent coarse fragments in the control section. The Falula series is formed from sandstone or conglomerate and is calcareous. The Foxol series is formed only from quartzite, it has a cambic horizon and it is not less than 14 inches deep. The Gando series is formed from sedimentary rocks and is calcareous. The Gomine series is formed from igneous rock, has a cambic horizon and it has more than 18 percent clay in the control section. The Grink series is formed from calcareous sedimentary rocks and has a Bk horizon. The Hogsby series is formed from argillite and quartzite and can have more than 15 percent clay and more than 60 percent coarse fragments. The Little Pole series is formed from igneous rock and has more than 18 percent clay in the control section. The Nayrib series is formed from eolian deposits over basalt. The Onaqui soils have 16 to 22 inches precipitation and formed from quartzite. The Rexmont series is formed from limestone and has more than 18 percent clay in the control section. The Swanner series is formed from loess or silty alluvium, it has a cambic horizon and it is calcareous. The Van Wagoner series is formed from coarse grained igneous rock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Kenypeak soils are located on mountain slopes of 30 to 80 percent. The soils formed from metasedimentary rock. Elevations are 7200 to 8600 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 15 inches. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 46 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tibbcreek and Lachim soils. Tibbcreek soils are on adjacent ridgetops and have argillic horizons and less than 30 percent slopes. Lachim soils have less than 35 percent coarse fragments and are formed from granitic rock on nearby mountainsides.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, high to very high runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are used for recreation with a large proportion of the acreage located in wilderness areas. The main vegetation is single leaf pinyon pine. Other common plants are curlleaf mountain mahogany, western juniper and big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern part of the southern Sierra Nevada range. The soils of this series are of small extent, about 5000 acres in size. MLRA 29.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California, 1999. Northeastern Kern Soil Survey Area, California, Parts of Kern and Tulare Counties
REMARKS: The soil is named for Kennedy Peak.
Diagnostic horizons recognized in this pedon:
Mollic epipedon: from 0 to 12 inches
Lithic contact: 12 inches Fractures of the R horizons are characteristic of this bedrock and are not considered to be a result of weathering.