LOCATION KIMBERLINA CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Kimberlina fine sandy loam - on a slope of less than 1 percent in a cultivated field at 296 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on May 11, 1970, the soil was moist throughout from irrigation.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 18 inches thick)
C1--9 to 31 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (20 to 22 inches thick)
C2--31 to 45 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (13 to 19 inches thick)
2C3--45 to 71 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates segregated as few fine irregularly shaped threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; about 7 miles northwest of Shafter; approximately 1800 feet west and 100 feet north of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 27 S., R. 24 E., MDB&M; Latitude 35 degrees, 31 minutes, 45 seconds north and Longitude 119 degrees, 23 minutes, 30 seconds west; USGS Wasco Southwest Topographic Quadrangle, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil between the depths of 8 and 24 inches is dry all the time from April until mid-January and is moist in all parts for less than 60 consecutive days in the winter. Mean annual soil temperature is 62 degrees to 67 degrees F. Rock fragment content is 0 to 25 percent and is usually less than 2 inches in diameter. Some pedons have few to common gypsum crystals, which occur where gypsum has been added to the soil by farmers.
The A horizon has color of 10YR 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 7/2, 7/3, 7/4; 2.5Y 5/2, 6/2, 6/4 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/2 or 2.5Y 4/2. Texture is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, fine sandy loam, sandy loam or loam and may have a gravelly modifier. Clay content averages 5 to 20 percent. Calcium carbonate equivalent is 0 to 5 percent. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline. Organic matter content is less than 1 percent.
The C horizon has color of 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 7/2, 7/3, 7/4; 2.5Y 5/2, 6/2,6/3, 6/4 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4; 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2, 4/4, 5/2 or 5/3. Texture is sandy loam or fine sandy loam and may have a gravelly modifier. Clay content averages 10 to 18 percent. Carbonates are disseminated but some pedons also have segregated carbonates. Some pedons may not have carbonates in some parts of the profile but the 10 to 20 inch calcareous class control section is always calcareous. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline. Organic matter is less than 0.5 percent and decreases regularly with increasing depth. Organic matter content is less than 0.2 percent below 49 inches depth.
The 2C horizon, where present, is similar to the C horizon and has weakly defined thick stratification of silt loam, loam, or sandy clay loam textures, but distinct thin stratification is not present. Some pedons have texture of loamy sand or loamy fine sand and do not have silt loam, loam or sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Elkhills, Granitepass, Herbel, Machone, and Seaman series. Elkhills soils (MLRA 17), on uplifted fan remnants, have 5 to 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent, have slopes of 9 to 50 percent and consistently have stratified textures in the lower part of the C horizon. Granitepass soils (MLRA 30), on alluvial fans, are moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms, have gravel content of 30 to 80 percent on the surface and 10 to 50 percent in the A horizon, and typically have a 2Btkb horizon. Herbel soils (MLRA 42), on alluvial fans and coalescent fan piedmonts, are intermittently moist for more than 20 days cumulative during July through September, have color hue of 7.5YR and 10YR and have Bk horizons. Machone soils (MLRA 30), on hills and rock pediments, are 20 to 40 inches deep to strongly weathered granitic rock. Seaman soils (MLRA 29, 30), on fan skirts and inset fans and fan aprons of the fan piedmont, are moist for a few brief intermittent periods following summer convection storms, have color hue of 7.5YR and 10YR and are formed in mixed alluvium with a component ofvolcanic ash or pyroclastic materials.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kimberlina soils are on alluvial fans and flood plains. Slope is 0 to 9 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium derived dominantly from igneous and/or sedimentary rock sources. Elevation is 125 to 2,250 feet in the San Joaquin Valley and cool phases occur at 1,800 to 4,100 feet in the Mojave Desert. Slope is 0 to 9 percent. The climate is arid (desert) with hot, dry summers and cool winters. Mean annual precipitation is 4 to 8 inches. Mean January temperature is 44 degrees to 47 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 80 degrees to 85 degrees F.;, mean annual temperature is 59 degrees to 62 degrees F. in the Mojave Desert and 61 degrees to 65 degrees F in the San Joaquin Valley. The frost-free season is 240 to 300 days in the San Joaquin Valley and 190 to 250 days in the Mojave Desert.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Garces, McFarland, Milham, Panoche, and Wasco soils. Garces soils, on fan remnants and basin rims, have a natric horizon with a sodium adsorption ratio greater than 13. McFarland soils, on alluvial fans and flood plains, have a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Milham soils, on fan remnants, alluvial fans, plains and low terraces, have an argillic horizon that has a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Panoche soils, on alluvial fans and plains, have afine-loamy particle-size control section. Wasco soils, on alluvial fans and plains, do not have carbonates in all parts of the 10 to 20 inch calcareous class control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to medium runoff; moderately rapid and moderate permeability, however saline-sodic phases and soils with sandy clay loam substratums have moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for growing irrigated field, forage, and row crops. Some areas used for livestock grazing. When not irrigated, vegetation is annual grasses, forbs, and atriplex spp. in the San Joaquin Valley.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mainly in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley. The series is of large extent. MLRA 17, 30.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Mojave River Area, 1978.
REMARKS: The Kimberlina soils were initially mapped as San Emigdio soils which are now recognized as having a xeric moisture regime and an irregular decrease in organic matter.