LOCATION LEMOORE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, thermic Aeric Endoaquents
TYPICAL PEDON: Lemoore sandy loam - on a slope of less than 1 percent under irrigated barley at 218 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 7/13/76 the soil was moist below 7 inches and the water table was at a depth of 6 feet.)
Ap--0 to 7 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; few very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; EC 0.9 mmhos; SAR 2; neutral (pH 7.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
A12--7 to 13 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; few very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; EC 0.4; SAR 5; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
A13--13 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; few very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; EC 0.8 mmhos; SAR 7; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
C1--16 to 24 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few fine faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; EC 0.6 mmhos; SAR 5; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
C2--24 to 34 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; common fine faint and many fine prominent reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) mottles, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; EC 2.6 mmhos; SAR 41; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C3--34 to 44 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few fine faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; EC 2.6 mmhos; SAR 41; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C4--44 to 51 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium faint light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) mottles, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; EC 3.2 mmhos; SAR 40; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
C5--51 to 60 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, disseminated lime; EC 3.2 mmhos; SAR 40; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, California; approximately 3/4 mile east of Highway 41 and 1/4 mile north of Jackson Avenue; 1,500 feet north and 1,650 feet east of the southwest corner of section 22, T. 19 S., R. 20 E., MDB&M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is more than 60 inches deep. Mean annual soil temperature is 61 degrees to 65 degrees F. The organic matter is less than 1 percent at the surface and decreases regularly with increasing depth. The soil is slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent below a depth of 7 inches. The SAR is 2 to 13 in the upper part and of the profile increases with increasing depth to 15 to 200 in the lower part. Salinity is less than 2 mmhos in the surface and less than 4 in the lower part of the profile and commonly increases with increasing depth.
The A horizon has dry color of 2.5Y 6/2, 7/2; or 10YR 6/3 and moist color of 2.5Y 4/2; or 10YR 3/2. It commonly is sandy loam and less commonly fine sandy loam. This horizon has weak medium subangular blocky structure or it is massive. It is neutral to strongly alkaline.
The C horizon has moist color of 2.5YR 3/2, 4/2, or 5/2. Mottles are few to many, fine or medium, faint to prominent and have moist color of 2.5Y 4/4, 5/4; 2.5Y 3/4 or 4/4. This horizon is sandy loam or fine sandy loam. It is strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alros (T), Foster, Grangeville, Kimberlina, and Vanguard series in other families. Alros soils are fine-loamy. Foster and Grangeville soils have a mollic epipedon. Kimberlina soils have an aridic moisture regime and do not have mottles. Vanguard soils have SAR greater than 13 in the upper part and decreases with increasing depth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lemoore soils are on alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from igneous and sedimentary rocks. Elevations are 210 to 225 feet. The climate is arid and has hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is about 7 inches. Mean January temperature is about 46 degrees F. and mean July temperature is about 82 degrees F.; mean annual temperature is about 63 degrees F. Frost-free season is 250 to 275 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Foster, Grangeville, and Kimberlina soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability. The water table was about 2 to 3 feet prior to drainage. A perched water table now occurs at a depth of 3 to 6 feet.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most Lemoore soils are under cultivation or are in urban areas. Barley, cotton, and safflower are the main crops.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Joaquin Valley. Series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, California, 1980.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET