LOCATION LALOS CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Sodic Xeric Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Lalos very fine sandy loam--on a 2 percent west facing slope under greasewood, cheatgrass and basin wildrye at 4,085 feet elevation. (When described August 21, 1980, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky parting to weak medium granular structure; loose, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent, disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 9 inches thick)
A2--7 to 13 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent, disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
2Bn1--13 to 20 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; strongly effervescent, disseminated lime; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
2Bn2--20 to 30 inches; pinkish gray (7.5YR 7/2) clay loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine, medium and few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, disseminated lime; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)
3C1--30 to 54 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)
3C2--54 to 65 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) very fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3); massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent, disseminated lime; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Siskiyou County, California; about 8 miles northwest of Tulelake, 350 feet south of Stateline Road (Highway 161); about 1,800 feet east, 1,550 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 15, T. 48 N., R. 3 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth of aeolian material is greater than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 48 degrees to 52 degrees F. The soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is above 41 degrees F from about March 15 to December 1 (255 days) and is above 47 degrees F from about April 15 to November 15 (210 days). The soil between the depths of 8 to 24 inches is dry in all parts from June 15 until November 10 (145 days). The moisture control section is dry more than half the time; the soil temperature is more than 41 degrees F. In the 10 to 40 inch control section there is 10 to 15 percent fine sand or coarser. The bulk density ranges from 0.9 to 1.0. The NaF pH ranges from 9.9 to 11.0. The ratio of 15-bar water content to measured clay is 1.0 to 2.45.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/1, 6/2 or 6/3 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/3 and 5/3. E.C. ranges from 0 to 4. ESP ranges from 10 to 40.
The Bn horizon has dry color of 10YR 7/2, 7/5YR 7/3 or 7/2 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 6/3, or 6/4. The exchangeable sodium percentage ranges from 49 to 64. This horizon contains no clay films. E.C. ranges from 4 to 8. ESP ranges from 49 to 64.
The C horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/2, 6/3, or 7/3 and moist color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/3. E.C. ranges from 8 to 16. ESP ranges from 70 to 90.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Luce and McLoughlin series in other families. Luce soils have a thin weakly cemented horizon at a depth of about 20 inches and lack B horizons. McLoughlin soils are strongly alkaline in the substratum and have weak to strong prismatic structure in the B horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lalos soils are on aeolian lakeshore dunes. Slopes are 2 to 15 percent. The soils formed on aeolian deposits eroded from lacustrine sediments. Elevations are from 4,080 to 4,200 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches. Snowfall is 10 to 20 inches. Mean January temperature is about 30 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 65 degrees F; mean annual temperature is about 48 degrees F. Frost-free season is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Capjac (T), Hedox (T), Lamath (T), and Porterfield (T). Capjac and Lamath soils have aquic soil moistures. Hedox soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Porterfield soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to a paralithic contact.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Lalos soils are used for cropland and rangeland. Cultivated crops commonly grown are oats and barley. Native vegetation is greasewood, hopsage, basin wildrye and inland saltgrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northcentral California. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Siskiyou County, California; Butte Valley-Tule Lake Soil Survey, 1985. The name is coined.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the pedon are: Ochric epipedon--The zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 13 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Cambic horizon--The zone from about 13 to 30 inches (Bw1, Bw2). Permeability is slow because the soil has high exchangeable sodium and is massive. Bw1 has an exchangeable sodium content of 49 percent. Bw2 has an exchangeable sodium content of 64 percent. Have strong chroma, redder hue less carbonates than the underlying horizon.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Soil was sampled in August 1980 by Lincoln Laboratory. Pedon No. S80CA-093-020. Samples from the Bw1 and Bw2 were tested by the Lincoln Lab and showed no evidence of illuvial clay.