LOCATION LITTLEPETE              CA

Established Series
JBB/CES/JTW
09/2021

LITTLEPETE SERIES

The Littlepete series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in alluvium derived from granitic rocks. Littlepete soils are on floodplains of glacial-valley floors and basin floors of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 920 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 3 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, isotic Aquandic Cryaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Littlepete mucky fine sandy loam on a south-facing (185 degree), 1 percent slope under a cover of alpine grasses, forbs, and low-growing shrubs at an elevation of 2,696 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on August 12, 2012 the soil was moist throughout.)

A1--0 to 11 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mucky fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; 61 percent sand; 32 percent silt; 7 percent clay; moderate fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 8.6; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 13N02201

A2--11 to 20 cm; gray (2.5Y 5/1) very fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 59 percent sand; 36 percent silt; 5 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine irregular pores; 15 percent medium dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist, masses of oxidized iron in matrix; NaF pH 10.1; strongly acid (pH 5.4); gradual wavy boundary. Lab sample # 13N02202

A3--20 to 31 cm; gray (2.5Y 6/1) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 73 percent sand; 24 percent silt; 3 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine irregular pores; 10 percent medium light gray (10YR 7/2) moist, masses of reduced iron and 15 percent coarse yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron in matrix; NaF pH 10.3; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 10 to 50 cm) Lab sample # 13N02203

C--31 to 48 cm; pale yellow (2.5Y 8/2) coarse sand, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) moist; 98 percent sand; 2 percent silt; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 5 percent medium dark red (2.5YR 3/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron in matrix; NaF pH 8.5; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 100 cm thick) Lab sample # 13N02204

Ab--48 to 53 cm; gray (2.5Y 6/1) sand, 50 percent dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) and 50 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) moist; 96 percent sand; 4 percent silt; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 9.0; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick) Lab sample # 13N02205

Cg1--53 to 65 cm; gray (2.5Y 6/1) coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; 96 percent sand; 3 percent silt; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; reduced matrix; 30 percent very coarse strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron in matrix; 5 percent subrounded indurated mixed fine gravel; NaF pH 8.5; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N02206

Cg2--65 to 100 cm; gray (10YR 6/1) gravelly coarse sand, dark gray (7.5YR 4/1) moist; 97 percent sand; 2 percent silt; 1 percent clay; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine interstitial pores; reduced matrix; 25 percent subrounded indurated mixed gravel, 5 percent wood fragments; NaF pH 8.5; strongly acid (pH 5.1); gradual smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N02207

Cg3--100 to 150 cm; gray (2.5Y 6/1) very gravelly coarse sand, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; 97 percent sand; 3 percent silt; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium interstitial pores; 50 percent extremely coarse distinct irregular greenish gray (10Y 5/1) moist, reduced matrix; 40 percent subrounded indurated mixed gravel; NaF pH 7.9; strongly acid (pH 5.3). (combined thickness of Cg horizons is 20 to 100 cm) Lab sample # 13N02208

TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California, in Little Pete Meadow in Kings Canyon National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: North Palisade, California; WGS84 37.100283 latitude and -118.598892 longitude; UTM zone 11 4107194 meters N 357919 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters is 0 to 6 degrees C, 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):
Umbric epipedon thickness: 25 to 50 cm
Aquic conditions: present within 50 cm of soil surface

Organic matter: 2 to 20 percent in the epipedon


Reaction: very strongly acid to moderately acid

Base saturation: less than 50 percent in the epipedon (by ammonium acetate)

Depth to redoximorphic features: 0 to 30 cm

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent, with 0 to 25 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles
Clay content: 0 to 6 percent
NaF pH: 8.0 to 11.0

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, sand, and their mucky modifiers
Clay content: 2 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent
0 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 25 percent cobbles
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Iron depletions in matrix
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse

Ab horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 2 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: loam, silt loam, very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, sand, and their mucky modifiers
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
0 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 15 percent cobbles
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Iron depletions in matrix
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse

C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 6 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: few to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Iron depletions in matrix
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse

Cg horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2, dry or moist
Texture: coarse sand, sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent
0 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron in matrix and along linings of pores
Quantity: none to many
Size: fine, medium, and coarse
Iron depletions in matrix
Quantity: many
Size: medium to extremely coarse

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

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Littlepete soils are on floodplains of glacial-valley bottoms and basin floors. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in alluvium. Elevation is 2500 to 3885 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 560 to 1385 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 0 to 5 degrees C. The frost free season is 50 to 95 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ladderlake soils. The Ladderlake soils are poorly to poorly drained soils on flood-plain steps; they have histic epipedons, and average greater than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained, moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity, occasional to frequent flooding for very brief to long(14 hours to 30 days) duration beginning in May, occasional none to frequent ponding for brief (0 to <7 days) duration beginning in May. Seasonal high water table at 10 to 50 cm.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is sedge, shorhair reedgrass, spikerush, aster, Sierra and alpine willow, bog laurel, and needlegrass.

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: Fresno County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from Little Pete Meadow in Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 100 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric Epipedon 0 to 31 cm
Redox Concentrations 11 to 48 and 53 to 65 cm
Aquic Conditions 0 to 150 cm
Reduced Matrix 53 to 150 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Lab Pedon #: 13N0500
NASIS User Pedon ID: S2012CA019001

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

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.