LOCATION LILYGAP CA

Established Series
SMM/AGB/TKK/JW
09/2018

LILYGAP SERIES

The Lilygap series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in ashy colluvium over weathered colluvium and residuum from andesitic tuff breccia. The Lilygap soils are on mountainflanks of lahars. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1270 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy, amorphic over isotic, mesic Alfic Humic Haploxerands

TYPICAL PEDON: Lilygap medial sandy loam on a northwest facing, linear, 37 percent slope, under cover of sugar pine, Douglas fir and incense cedar at an elevation of 1342 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on October 19th, 2007 the soil was dry to a depth of 90 cm and moist beneath).

Oi--0 to 4 cm; slightly decomposed plant material.

Oe--4 to 8 cm; moderately decomposed plant material; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--8 to 20 cm; dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) medial sandy loam, very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) moist; 56 percent sand; 10 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky parting to weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; slightly fluid; many very fine and fine and common medium roots throughout; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent indurated tuff breccia gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary.

AB--20 to 57 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) medial sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; 55 percent sand; 11 percent clay; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; slightly fluid; many very fine and fine and common medium and coarse roots throughout; many very fine and fine irregular pores; 10 percent subrounded indurated tuff breccia gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual wavy boundary.

Bw1--57 to 78 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 51 percent sand; 14 percent clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; slightly fluid; common very fine to coarse roots throughout; many very fine and fine irregular and few medium and coarse tubular pores; 10 percent subrounded indurated tuff breccia gravel, 2 percent subangular strongly cemented tuff breccia cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary.

Bw2--78 to 90 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly medial loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 45 percent sand; 18 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky parting to weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common very fine to medium and few coarse roots throughout; many very fine and fine irregular and few medium and coarse tubular pores; 15 percent subrounded very strongly cemented tuff breccia gravel, 5 percent subangular strongly cemented tuff breccia cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A, AB and Bw horizons is 36 to 90 cm)

2Bt1--90 to 120 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 36 percent sand; 28 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine to coarse roots throughout; common very fine and fine irregular and few fine tubular pores; 40 percent prominent clay films on all faces of peds; 30 percent subrounded very strongly cemented tuff breccia gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary.

2Bt2--120 to 140 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 32 percent sand; 32 percent clay; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, slightly rigid, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium and coarse roots throughout; common very fine and fine tubular and few very fine irregular pores; 80 percent prominent clay films on all faces of peds; 1 percent subangular very strongly cemented tuff breccia gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary.

2Bt3--140 to 165 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 12 percent sand; 58 percent clay; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, slightly rigid, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine roots and few fine to coarse roots throughout; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 95 percent prominent clay films on all faces of peds; moderately acid (pH 5.9); gradual wavy boundary.

2Bt4--165 to 190 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 9 percent sand; 53 percent clay; strong coarse subangular blocky structure; rigid, rigid, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine to coarse roots throughout; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 95 percent clay films on all faces of peds; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of 2Bt horizons is 50 to 125 cm)

2BCt--190 to 220 cm; 50 percent brown (7.5YR 5/4) paracobbly loam, 50 percent brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 41 percent sand; 27 percent clay; massive; extremely hard, slightly rigid, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few very fine roots throughout; few very fine and fine irregular pores; 30 percent prominent clay films on rock fragments; 20 percent subrounded very strongly cemented tuff breccia gravel, 35 percent subangular moderately cemented tuff breccia paragravel, 40 percent subangular moderately cemented tuff breccia paracobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (30 to 60 cm thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Calaveras County, California, about 12.5 km (7.8 miles) northeast of the community of West Point; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Devils Nose, California. WGS84 38.457054 latitude, -120.407059 longitude; UTM zone 10 4259713 meters N 726251 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 12 to 15 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a mesic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about June to October. The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Umbric epipedon thickness: 27 to 105 cm
Andic soil properties thickness: 36 to 70 cm
Argillic horizon thickness: 50 to >150 cm
Depth to paralithic contact: >150 cm

Andic soil properties (A, AB and Bw horizons)
Volcanic glass content in the 0.02 to 2 mm fraction: 5 to 20 percent
Acid-oxalate extractable Al + 1/2 Fe: 1 to 3 percent
NZ Phosphate retention: 85 to 97 percent

Bulk density (1/3 bar): 0.65 to 1.05 g/cc

Particle size control section weighted-average:
Rock fragments (upper part): 0 to 35 percent
Rock fragments (lower part): 0 to 35 percent
Clay content (upper part): 4 to 25 percent
Clay content (lower part): 24 to 40 percent

A (and AB) horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 dry, 2 to 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture: medial sandy loam or medial loam
Clay content: 4 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
0 to 15 percent gravels
0 to 5 percent cobbles
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Bw horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: medial sandy loam or medial loam
Clay content: 4 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 20 percent
0 to 20 percent gravels
0 to 5 percent paragravels
0 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent paracobbles
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

2Bt horizons (upper)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam
Clay content: 24 to 40 percent (averages less than 35 percent within control section)
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent
0 to 10 percent gravels
0 to 10 percent paragravels
0 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 20 percent paracobbles
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid
Base saturation (by sum of cations): greater than 35 percent (in upper 50 cm of argillic)

2Bt horizons (lower)
Hue: 7.5YR or 5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: clay loam, clay, silty clay loam
Clay content: 35 to 60 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent
0 to 10 percent gravels
0 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 20 percent paracobbles
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

2BCt horizons
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam, clay loam, clay
Clay content: 27 to 55 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 40 percent
0 to 15 percent gravels
0 to 15 percent cobbles
0 to 40 percent paracobbles
Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Lilygap soils are typically on lower portions of mountainflanks of lahars. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. These soils formed in ashy colluvium over weathered colluvium and residuum from andesitic tuff breccia. Elevation is 900 to 1425 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 1000 to 1300 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 11 to 14 degrees C. The frost free season is 185 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Devilsnose, Iron Mountain, Mantree, McCarthy and Redapple soils. Iron Mountain soils are shallow and occur on mountaintops and steep mountainflanks. Devilsnose and McCarthy (moderately deep) soils are medial over loamy and medial-skeletal, respectively, and occur on the middle to upper thirds of mountainflanks. Mantree soils are fine-loamy, occur on mountaintops and mountainflanks below lahars and formed in residuum from intrusive igneous rock. Redapple soils are fine and occur on stable summits and backslopes of lahars.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately low (lower part) to high (upper part) in the strongly-contrasting particle size control section and low to moderately low above the bedrock contact.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production, watershed, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is Douglas-fir, white fir, sugar pine, ponderosa pine, incense cedar, California black oak, with an understory of deerbrush, Pacific dogwood, snowberry, Sierra gooseberry, false lily of the valley, and broadleaf starflower.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. The series is not extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Calaveras County, California. Source of name from Lily Gap in the Devils Nose, CA USGS Quadrangle.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Andic soil properties 8 to 78 cm
Umbric epipedon 8 to 57 cm
Cambic horizon 57 to 90 cm
Argillic horizon 90 to 220 cm

Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 8 to 108 cm.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
NASIS User Pedon ID: S07CA009005
Pedon Type: OSD pedon
Pedon Purpose: laboratory sampling site
Lab Source ID: SSL
Lab Pedon #: 08N0159

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.