LOCATION KIWISAR CA

Established Series
LJL/MEB
02/2025

KIWISAR SERIES

The Kiwisar series consists of very shallow and shallow to bedrock, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium from mixed igneous. Kiwisar soils are on mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation 250 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Lithic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Kiwisar extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, on a northeast facing, 40 percent slope under rangeland at an elevation of 1503 meters (4930 feet). When described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). The surface is covered by approximately 75 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones.

A--0 to 9 cm (0 to 4 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular and few fine irregular pores; 15 percent fine gravel, 45 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 12 cm thick)

Bt--9 to 33 cm (4 to 13 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very gravelly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots throughout and few medium roots throughout and few fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular and few fine tubular pores; 25 percent prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), dry, clay films on all faces of peds and 60 percent prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), dry, clay films on rock fragments; 15 percent fine gravel, 25 percent medium and coarse gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.(8 to 40 cm thick)

Rt--33 to 58 cm (13 to 23 inches); granitoid bedrock; strongly coherent; very few very fine roots in cracks; 30 percent prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), dry, clay films in cracks.

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 10 miles north of Cima, CA; located on the east side of the Ivanpah Mountains; 1300 feet north and 1350 east of the southwest corner of section 16, T. 15 N., R. 14 E., San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian; 35 degrees, 22 minutes, 50 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 29 minutes, 41 seconds west longitude, UTM zone 11 636730e, 3916281n, WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part from December to March and intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during July to September following summer convection storms; aridic moisture regime that borders on ustic.

Soil temperature: 12 to 15 degrees C (53 to 59 degrees F)
Depth to the argillic horizon: 5 to 12 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 15 to 50 cm

Control section
Clay content: averages 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 65 percent

A horizon
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry and moist
Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 6 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent gravel or channers, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and stones
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline

Bt or Btk horizon(s)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6 dry and moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: clay loam or loam
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent gravel or channers and 0 to 15 percent cobbles, flagstones or stones
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Fourmilebench (UT), Puertecito (NM), Quazo (UT), Roygeorge (CO), and Wyva (NV) series. Fourmilebench soils have a MAST of 8 to 12 degrees C. Puertecito soils have 8 to l5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the argillic horizon. Quazo soils have 50 to 70 percent sand in the particle-size control section. Roygeorge soils have more than 50 percent sand in the particle-size control section and a MAST of 9 to 12 degrees C. Wyva soils formed in volcanic parent material, meets organic carbon requirement for "Ustollic" and is in MLRA 29.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kiwisar soils are on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from mixed igneous. Elevation is 1300 to 2025 meters (4250 to 6650 feet). Mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm (8 to 12 inches). The mean annual temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 56 degrees F). Frost free season is 180 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Mountmcull and Moano family. Mountmcull soils are on mountains and do not have an argillic horizon. Moano family soils are on mountains, have a loamy particle-size control section and do not have an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very high runoff; moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity within the argillic horizon and low saturated hydraulic conductivity within the bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: Kiwisar soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is mainly blackbrush, big galleta, galleta, black grama, and Utah juniper.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. These soils are of moderate extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino Country, California, Soil Survey of Mojave National Preserve Area, California, 2023. The name is coined from Kiwisar Canyon located in the survey area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 9 cm. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 9 to 33 cm. (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - the zone from 33 to 58 cm. (Rt layer)
Particle size control section - the zone from 0 to 33 cm. (A and Bt horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Site ID: 2022CA0718344

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.