LOCATION LITTLEFARGO             CA

Established Series
Rev: GMW/PRR/CAH/ET
09/2015

LITTLEFARGO SERIES

The Littlefargo series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from granitoid over residuum weathered from granitoid. The Littlefargo soils are on hills and pediments. Slopes range from 4 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 138 millimeters (5.5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 15 degrees C (59 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Littlefargo loamy sand, on a north-facing 10 percent slope at an elevation of 1,409 meters (4,622 feet). When described the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by 55 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse gravel.

A1 -- 0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 5 percent fine gravel and 1 percent medium and coarse gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.

A2 -- 3 to 10 centimeters (1 to 4 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 6 percent fine gravel and 2 percent medium and coarse gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 10 to 20 centimeters)

Bt1 -- 10 to 23 centimeters (4 to 9 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 5 percent faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay bridges between sand grains; 6 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2 -- 23 to 43 centimeters (9 to 17 inches); dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and few medium and common very fine roots ; few fine tubular and common fine interstitial pores; 35 percent faint, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), clay bridges between sand grains; 5 percent fine gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary.

Bt3 -- 43 to 79 centimeters (17 to 31 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots ; common fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay bridges between sand grains; 5 percent fine gravel, 1 percent medium and coarse gravel; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of B horizons is 24 to 69 centimeters)

BCt -- 79 to 86 centimeters (31 to 34 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 15 percent faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) clay bridges between sand grains; 9 percent fine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); gradual wavy boundary. (7 to 27 centimeters thick)

Crt -- 86 to 150 centimeters (34 to 60 inches); moderately weathered, granitoid bedrock; 60 percent distinct, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) clay films on surfaces of rock fragments.

TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; approximately 1.4 kilometers north of Juniper Flats Road within Joshua Tree National Park; approximately 505 meters north, 235 meters west of the southeast corner of sec. 24, T. 2S, R. 7 E, San Bernardino Base and Meridian; USGS Keys View 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 33 degrees, 58 minutes, 50.2 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 11 minutes, 54.6 seconds west longitude; UTM 11S 574035e 3760296n (DATUM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and September following summer convection storms. These soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 15 to 19 degrees C. (59 to 66 degrees F.)
Surface rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent; with 55 to 70 percent fine gravel,
5 to 15 percent medium and coarse gravel.

Control section
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent, dominantly gravel.
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
Effervescent: noneffervescent throughout.
Depth to argillic horizon: 10 to 25 centimeters. (4 to 10 inches)
Depth to paralithic contact: 50 to 100 centimeters. (20 to 40 inches)

A horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, and 3 to 6 moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand or sandy loam.
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.
Rock fragments: 5 to 8 percent, gravel.

Bt horizons
Value: 4 to 6 dry, and 3 to 6 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, and 3, 4 or 6 moist
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent, dominantly gravel.
Note: Some pedons have up to 45 percent rock fragments in the upper part of the argillic horizon.

BCt or C horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand or sandy loam.
Clay content: 6 to 12 percent.
Reaction: neutral to slightly alkaline.
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dovecanyon (CA), Friedliver (CA), Goldivide (CA), Goldpeak (CA), Helendale (CA), Hexie (CA), Jumborox (CA), Searchlight (NV), Sonoita (AZ+NM), Tray (CA), and Wingap (CA) series. The Dovecanyon, Friedliver, Goldivide, Goldpeak, Helendale, Jumborox, Searchlight, Sonoita, and Tray soils are all very deep soils and do not have a paralithic contact within 150 centimeters, and are formed mainly in alluvium. Hexie soils have a mean annual soil temperature of 19 to 22 degrees C. Wingap soils have a paralithic contact between 100 and 150 centimeters. In addition, Sonoita soils are moist greater than 20 days cumulative in some part of the soil moisture control section following summer convection storms. Friedliver soils have an upper boundary to the argillic between 25 and 50 centimeters, and Goldivide soils within 50 to 100 centimeters. Tray soils are strongly to very strongly alkaline in all parts and have an argillic horizon with an ESP of 15 to 30.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Littlefargo soils are on hills and pediments. Slopes range from 4 to 15 percent. These soils formed in colluviums derived from granitoid over residuum weathered from granitoid. Elevation is 1,220 to 1,585 meters (4,000 to 5,200 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 175 millimeters and the mean annual air temperature is 13 to 17 degrees C. The frost free season is 210 to 270 days

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Morongo and Pinecity soils. Morongo soils are sandy throughout, very deep with greater than 150 centimeters of mixed alluvium in the soil profile and located in adjacent drainage ways. Pinecity soils are sandy throughout, located on nearby pediment and shallow to bedrock paralithic contact. Neither soil has an argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity about the bedrock and moderately low within the weathered bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Califonia juniper and blackbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County, California; Sol Survey of Joshua Tree National Park, California, 2012. The name is for a canyon within the survey area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 10 centimeters (A horizons).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 10 to 79 centimeters (Bt horizons).
Paralithic contact - zone beginning at 86 centimeters (Cr horizon).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 10 to 60 centimeters (4 to 24 inches) (Bt1, Bt2 and upper part of Bt3 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 1249720344.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 9/2015. The last revision to the series was 9/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.