LOCATION LADDERLAKE CA
Established Series
CES/JBB/JTW
09/2021
LADDERLAKE SERIES
The Ladderlake series consists of very deep, poorly or very poorly drained soils formed in organic material over alluvium and/or till derived from granitic rocks. The Ladderlake soils are on flood-plain steps on glacial valley floors and cirque floors of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 865 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 1 degree C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic Histic Cryaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Ladderlake gravelly loamy sand on a northwest-facing (312 degree), 1 percent slope under cover of shorthair reedgrass, arctic willow, and dwarf bilberry at an elevation of 3,438 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on August 6, 2015 the soil was moist throughout.)
Oa--0 to 21 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) muck, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; slightly sticky, moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 2 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 1 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 8.0; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt irregular boundary. (20 to 40 cm thick)
Bw1--21 to 30 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 2 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine irregular pores; 1 percent fine prominent irregular masses of oxidized iron in matrix; 13 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 2 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 1 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 8.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear irregular boundary.
Bw2--30 to 44 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very gravelly loamy sand, 5 percent very dark brown (10YR 2/2) and 95 percent brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 3 percent clay; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium interstitial pores; 10 percent fine faint irregular iron depletions and 20 percent fine prominent irregular masses of oxidized iron in matrix; 32 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 3 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 8.0; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (combined thickness of Bw horizons is 15 to 50 cm)
Ab--44 to 49 cm; gray (10YR 5/1) mucky sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; 4 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 10 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel; NaF pH 8.0; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt broken boundary. (0 to 35 cm thick)
C--49 to 117 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine, fine, and medium interstitial pores; 15 percent medium faint irregular iron depletions and 30 percent coarse prominent irregular masses of oxidized iron in matrix; 40 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 5 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 50 cm thick)
Cg--117 to 150 cm; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) gravelly sandy loam, gray (2.5Y 6/1) moist; 6 percent clay; massive; moderately hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine irregular pores; reduced matrix; 15 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 5 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 8.5; slightly acid (pH 6.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California, on Tyndall Creek, southwest of Shepherd Pass; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Mount Brewer, California; WGS84 36.648434 latitude and -118.377226 longitude; UTM zone 11 4056756 meters N 376894 meters E NAD83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters is 0 to 6 degrees C, and the mean summer soil temperature is 0 to 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic soil temperature regime.
Soil moisture: The soil is saturated in some part throughout the year, with a seasonal high water table dropping below 50 cm in late summer and fall. The soils have an aquic soil moisture regime.
Diagnostic Feature(s):
Histic epipedon thickness: 20 to 40 cm
Aquic conditions: present within 25 cm of soil surface
Organic matter: 20 to 60 percent in the epipedon
Reaction: moderately to very strongly acid
Depth to redoximorphic features: 10 to 50 cm
Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, with 15 to 50 percent gravel, 5 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 35 percent stones and 0 to 15 percent boulders.
Clay content: 1 to 12 percent
NaF pH: 8.0 to 11.0
Oa horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 2 to 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: muck
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent
0 to 5 percent gravel
0 to 20 percent cobbles
0 to 30 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders
Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 15 to 50 percent
10 to 30 percent gravel
10 to 30 percent cobbles
5 to 20 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron and iron-manganese masses in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: few to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Ab horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 10 to 45 percent gravel
C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 70 percent
30 to 50 percent gravel
5 to 45 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron and iron-manganese masses in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: few to many
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Iron depletions in matrix
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Cg horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, silt loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam, loamy fine sand
Clay content: 0 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent
15 to 40 percent gravel
5 to 20 percent cobbles
0 to 20 percent stones
0 to 5 percent boulders
Redoximorphic Features:
Reduced iron masses in matrix
Quantity: many
Size: medium to extremely coarse
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ladderlake soils are on flood-plain steps of glacial valley floors and cirque floors. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in organic material over alluvium and/or till derived from granite and granodiorite. Elevation is 2500 to 3885 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 505 to 1680 mm and the mean annual air temperature is -2 to 5 degrees C. The frost free season is 40 to 95 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Littlepete soils. The Littlepete soils are poorly or very poorly drained soils on floodplains; they lack histic epipedons, and average less than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly or very poorly drained, high saturated hydraulic conductivity, occasional to frequent flooding for very brief to long (4 hrs to 30 days) duration from May to July, occasional to frequent ponding for long (7 to 30 days) duration from May to July. Seasonal high water table at 0 to 25 cm.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is Sierra and alpine willow, blueberry, dwarf bilberry, bog laurel, shootingstar, spikerush, aster, sedge, and Idaho bentgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are not extensive.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from Ladder Lake in Kings Canyon National Park.
REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 46 to 121 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Histic Epipedon 0 to 21 cm
Redox Concentrations 21 to 44 and 49 to 117 cm
Aquic Conditions 0 to 150 cm
Redox Depletions with Chroma 2 Or Less 30 to 44 and 49 to 117 cm
Reduced Matrix 117 to 150 cm
ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2015CA7923081
Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.