LOCATION KUSALSLOUGH CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Oxyaquic Xerofluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Kusalslough silty clay loam, on a less than one percent slope in a walnut orchard at an elevation of 127 feet, (39 m). When described on 5/24/94, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap1--0 to 4 inches, (0 to 10 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 31 percent clay; strong very coarse platy structure parting to strong fine and medium platy; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately acid, pH 5.6 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
Ap2--4 to 12 inches, (10 to 30 cm); pale brown (10YR 6/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 32 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; neutral, pH 6.8 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Ap horizon is 8 to 20 inches, (20 to 51 cm) thick).
Bw--12 to 21 inches, (30 to 53 cm); pale brown and brown (10YR 6/3 and 10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, brown and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/3 and 10YR 4/2) moist; 35 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium and coarse roots and common very coarse roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; neutral, pH 6.8 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches, (20 to 51 cm) thick)
Ab--21 to 31 inches, (53 to 79 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 37 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few medium, common coarse, and many very coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist, irregularly shaped oxidized iron masses; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches, (20 to 51 cm) thick)
Bwb1--31 to 41 inches, (79 to 104 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 35 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine, and common coarse and very coarse roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; common fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist, irregularly shaped oxidized iron masses; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 20 inches, (20 to 51 cm) thick)
Bwb2--41 to 57 inches, (104 to 145 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 45 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine, medium, coarse and very coarse roots; common fine tubular pores; few fine distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist, irregularly shaped oxidized iron masses; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.
Bwb3--57 to 69 inches, (145 to 175 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 53 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few medium roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog; gradual wavy boundary.
Bwb4--69 to 80 inches, (175 to 203 cm); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 49 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline, pH 7.5 by Hellige-Truog. (Combined thickness of the Bwb2, Bwb3, and Bwb4 is 20 to over 40 inches, (51 to 102 cm) thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 4 miles west of Chico; approximately 4625 feet west of Mt. Diablo base meridian and 200 feet south of Grape Way; in an unsectionized area in the Arroyo Chico Land Grant; 39 degrees, 43 minutes, 2 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 56 minutes, 5 seconds West longitude, NAD27. U.S.G.S. Quad: Ord Ferry, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is greater than 60 inches, (152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 64 degrees F, (17 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May 1 to October 31 (approximately 170 to 190 days), and moist in all parts from about January 1 to March 31. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 40 percent clay and 50 to 60 percent silt. Mineralogy is mixed. A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 14 to 72 inches, (36 to 183 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through May. Redoximorphic features such as soft oxidized iron masses with colors of 7.5YR 4/6, 4/4 and 5YR 4/4 moist, occur in the Bw, Ab, and Bwb horizons.
The Ap horizon dry color is 10YR 6/2 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/2 or 4/3. Texture is silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 28 to 35 percent. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 4 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The Bw horizon dry color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/2 or 4/3. Texture is clay loam or silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 30 to 40 percent. Organic matter ranges from 0.5 to 2 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to slightly alkaline.
The Ab horizon dry color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3 or 5/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/1, 3/2,3/3 or 4/2. Texture is clay loam or silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 30 to 40 percent. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 3 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to slightly alkaline.
The Bwb horizon dry color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2 or 5/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/2, 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is silty clay loam or clay loam in the upper part, and clay or silty clay in the lower part. Clay content ranges from 35 to 55 percent. Organic matter ranges from 0.1 to 2 percent. Reaction ranges from neutral to slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Kusalslough soils are on the margins of flood plains and flood basins. These flood deposits predominantly occur from the confluences of Mud Creek, Big Chico Creek, and the Sacramento River, in the vicinity of Kusalslough Slough. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. These soils formed in alluvium weathered from mixed rocks. Elevation is 120 to 140 feet, (37 to 43 m). Mean annual precipitation is 21 to 22 inches, (533 to 559 mm). The mean annual temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 240 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Busacca, Parrott, Bosquejo, Farwell and Gianella soils. Busacca soils are fine and are on distal fans. Parrott soils are fine-silty and are on the outer flood plain of the Sacramento River. Bosquejo soils are fine and are in interfan basins. Farwell soils are fine-loamy and are on flood plains. Gianella soils are coarse-loamy and are within the meander belt of the flood plain.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; negligible runoff; occasionally ponded up to 3 inches (8 cm) for brief durations from December through March; moderately slow saturated hydraulic conductivity in the Ap, Bw, Ab and Bwb horizons and slow in the Bwb2, Bwb3 and Bwb4 horizons; The soils are occasionally flooded for brief periods from December through March. A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 14 to 72 inches, (36 to 183 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for irrigated almond, walnut, and prune orchards, and small areas of row crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California. MLRA 17 - Sacramento valley. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of the name is from the Kusal Slough.
REMARKS: These soils were previously mapped as Columbia, shallow phase, in the Soil Survey of Chico Area, California 1926.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 21 inches, (0 to 30 cm) (Ap1, Ap2).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 12 to 40 inches, (30 to 102 cm) (Bw, Ab, Bwb1).
Soil moisture control section - the zone from 6 to 10 inches, (15 to 25 cm).