LOCATION KNEELAND CA
Established Series
Rev. JAD/ET
03/2023
KNEELAND SERIES
The Kneeland series consists of well drained moderately deep soils that have a clay loam subsoil. At a depth of 25 to 45 inches they are underlain by medium grained, hard sandstone. These soils are on uplands.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Ultic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Kneeland loam, 5 to 9 percent slopes (KnC), at an elevation of 525 feet; on a west-northwest facing slope.
A1--0 to 13 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate, fine and medium, subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many, very fine and fine, tubular and interstitial pores; moderately acid (PH 6.0); gradual, smooth boundary.
A3--13 to 18 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak, medium, subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common, very fine, tubular pores; a few thin clay films in pores and on ped faces; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear, smooth boundary.
B2--18 to 35 inches; mottled, pale brown (10YR 6/3), and brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive and weak, coarse, subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; a few very fine roots; common, very fine, tubular and interstitial pores; common thin clay films in pores and on some ped faces; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual, diffuse boundary.
R--35 inches; light yellowish brown, fractured and weathered, medium-grained sandstone (graywacke).
TYPE LOCATION:; 2.8 miles northnorthwest of Bedega Bay on Coleman Valley Road near Irish Hill (NE 1/4 NW 1/2 sec. 15, T. 6 N., R. 11 W.).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
The effective rooting depth is 25 to 45 inches.
The A horizon ranges in color from brown to dark grayish brown or grayish brown and from sandy loam to light clay loam. This horizon ranges from moderate, fine, granular structure to moderate, medium, subangular blocky structure. Reaction is moderately acid to strongly acid, and ranges in thickness from 10 to 20 inches.
The B horizon ranges from pale brown to yellowish brown or brownish yellow in color, and from heavy loam to clay loam. The structure ranges from weak, fine, and granular to weak, coarse, and subangular blocky, or the soil is massive. This horizon is moderately acid to strongly acid. It is from 15 to 25 inches thick, Occasionally, a layer of thin gravel or small rock fragments separates the A horizon from the B horizon.
The R horizon is pale-brown to light yellowish-brown hard sandstone with streaks of weakly consolidated sandy clay loam.
COMPETING SERIES:
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kneeland soils are in the western and northwestern areas of
Sonoma county near the Pacific Ocean from Bodega Bay to the Fort Ross vicinity. Slopes are 5 to 75 percent. Elevation ranges from 100 to 1,500 feet. Annual rainfall is 30 to 40 inches, mean annual air temperature is 52 degrees to 56 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 280 to 310 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: The Kneeland soils are associated with the
Kinman,
Los Osos,
Rohnerville, and
Steinbeck soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Permeability is moderate in the subsoil of this Kneeland soil. Runoff is slow, and the hazard of erosion is slight. Fertility is moderately low, and the available water capacity is 4 to 8 inches.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used mainly for range and pasture. Some areas are used for growing potatoes, peas, beans, and other row crops. The vegetation is chiefly annual and perennial grasses, brackenfern, forbs, and small brush. A few areas have scattered hardwoods, such as oak and California laurel.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Kneeland soils are in the western and northwestern areas of Sonoma county near the Pacific Ocean from Bodega Bay to the Fort Ross vicinity. Kneeland soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sonoma County, California, 1921.
REMARKS: Series was added to Ames database 04/2000. At that time competing series were not reviewed.
The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.