LOCATION LOCKGATE CA
Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC
05/2014
LOCKGATE SERIES
The Lockgate series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from granitic rock. Lockgate soils are on mountains. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 500 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 5.6 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Lockgate very gravelly loamy coarse sand--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 40 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, and 5 percent boulders.
A1--0 to 10 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 25 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter) and 10 percent medium through coarse gravel (5 to 75 mm diameter); neutral; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)
A2--10 to 36 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 25 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter) and 10 percent medium through coarse gravel (5 to 75 mm diameter); neutral; clear wavy boundary. (18 to 30 cm thick)
Bt1--36 to 58 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) extremely stony coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay films bridging sand grains; 25 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter), 20 percent medium through coarse gravel (5 to 75 mm diameter), 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (15 to 30 cm thick)
Bt2--58 to 86 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and common fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; few faint clay films bridging sand grains; 25 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter), 25 percent medium through coarse gravel (5 to 75 mm diameter), and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (23 to 38 cm thick)
C--86 to 107 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter), 20 percent medium through coarse gravel (5 to 75 mm diameter), and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)
Cr--107 to 132 cm; weathered granitic rock.
TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 4.5 miles southwest of the town of Walker; approximately 1,400 feet south and 50 feet west of the southeast corner of section 18, T. 7 N., R. 22 E.; USGS Lost Cannon Peak 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 27 minutes 19.1 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 30 minutes 8.4 seconds west longitude, NAD27; UTM Zone 11; 281651e, 4259300n.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 76 cm, includes the Bt1 horizon.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 86 to 102 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 100 to 150 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered granitic rock.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 80 percent, mainly fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter). Lithology of fragments are granitic rocks such as granodiorite.
A horizons
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 3 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt1 horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely stony coarse sandy loam or extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Bt2 horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam or extremely stony coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
C horizon - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly loamy coarse sand or extremely gravelly coarse sand.
Clay content: 3 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent, dominantly fine gravel (2 to 5 mm diameter).
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Bullump,
Bullvaro,
Burchflat,
Camelback,
Chrisflat,
Demner,
Dogbed,
Dooh,
Erig,
Krenka,
Leroman,
Murain,
Nutval,
Snyderville,
Softback,
Softscrabble,
Staberg,
Vetagrande, and
Vipont series.
Bullump and
Camelback soils have lithic contacts between 102 and 203 cm from the soil surface.
Bullvaro,
Demner,
Dooh,
Nutval, and
Vetagrande soils have an aridic moisture regime.
Burchflat and
Vipont soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts.
Chrisflat,
Dogbed,
Krenka,
Murain,
Snyderville,
Softback, and
Softscrabble soils are very deep.
Erig soils are deep to lithic contacts.
Leroman and
Staberg soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lockgate soils are on mountains. They typically occur on backslope positions. They formed in colluvium and residuum derived from granitic rock. Slopes are 30 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 2100 to 2600 meters. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 600 mm, the mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Elaero,
Granhogany, and
Granidry soils. Elaero soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Granhogany and Granidry soils are shallow to paralithic contacts and have a mesic temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: Lockgate soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, mountain snowberry, currant, and western needlegrass. This pedon is correlated to R022AY023NV, loamy slope 16-20" P.Z.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive with about 2,000 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 22A.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 58 cm (A1, A2, and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 36 to 86 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 107 cm to underlying soft weathered bedrock (Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 36 to 86 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
ADDITIONAL DATA: User pedon ID 2002CA051004.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.