LOCATION LONKEY CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Lonkey cobbly sandy loam on a SW facing 28 percent slope under a cover of big sagebrush, Idaho fescue and scattered western juniper at an elevation of 5280 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described May 13, 1984, the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 4 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) cobbly sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots, many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 9 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films in pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--9 to 14 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films in pores; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary.
Bt3--14 to 19 inches; dark brown (10YR 4/3) gravelly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds and common thin clay films in pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bt4--19 to 24 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) gravelly clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 30 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 16 to 34 inches)
R--24 inches; hard conglomerate tuff with thin 1/16 inch thick silica cemented capping.
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; about 10 miles southeast of Adin on Highway 139, 1.25 miles east on BLM road, 500 feet east of road uphill; 200 feet east and 1,800 feet south of the northwest corner of se. 8, T. 37 N., R. 10 E., Adin SE (Lane Reservoir) quadrangle (7.5 minute series).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F.
f.om mid March to mid November (260 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F. from mid May to early November. The soil moisture control section (8 to 20 inches) is dry in all parts from early July to early November (120 to 130 days) and is moist in all parts from mid November to mid May. The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and 5 to 30 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Rock fragments, mostly cobbles, on the soil surface, range from 15 to 35 percent. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 95 to 100 throughout. Organic matter ranges from 2 to 4 percent.
The A horizon color is 10YR 5/1, 5/2 or 4/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/1, 3/2 or 2/1. Texture is loam, gravelly sandy loam or cobbly sandy loam with 15 to 27 percent clay. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent.
The Bt1 and Bt2 horizon color is 10YR 4/1, 4/2, 4/3 or 5/2. Moist color is 10YR 2/1, 3/1, 3/2 or 7.5YR 3/2. Texture is sandy clay loam, loam, gravelly sandy clay loam or clay loam with 20 to 30 percent clay. Rock fragments, mostly gravel, range from 0 to 30 percent.
The Bt3 and Bt4 horizon color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/3 or 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/3; 7.5YR 3/2, 3/4 or 4/2. Texture is gravelly, sandy clay loam, clay loam or clay with 27 to 50 percent clay. Rock fragments, mostly gravel, range from 0 to 30 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Adieux (CA), Banning (OR), Blockhouse (T WA), Coolbrith (CA), Dotta (CA), Drews (OR), Gorman (CA), Harriman (OR), Haysum (CA), Henhill (T CA), Pumphouse (T WA), Robinette (OR), Supan (CA), Van Dusen (ID), Waha (WA), Wapinitia (OR), Wockum (T WA) and Yaxon (WA) soils. Adieux soils have between 18 and 27 percent clay in the textural control section. Banning, Coolbrith, Drews, Gorman, Harriman, Henhill, Robinette, Supan, Van Dusen and Wapinitia soils are 40 to 60 inches deep. Blockhouse, Dotta, Haysum, Ricecross and Wockum soils are more than 60 inches deep. Pumphouse soils are greater than 40 inches deep and are dry 75 to 90 days. Waha soils formed in loess, are silt loam or silty clay loam in the upper part of the argillic horizon, and dry for 60 to 80 days. Yaxon soils are...
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lonkey soils are on hills and plateaus. Slopes are 2 to 30 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from extrusive igneous rocks. Elevation is 4100 to 5600 feet. The climate is semiarid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 14 to 20 inches. Snowfall is 12 to 24 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 32 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 67 degrees F. Frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Adinot (T), Bieber, Jellycamp (T), Malinda (T), and Ollierivas (T) soils. Adinot soils are on pediments and hills, have aridic moisture regimes and are shallow to lithic contact. Bieber soils are in intermounds, have aridic moisture regimes and are shallow to a duripan. Jellycamp soils are in intermounds, are shallow to a duripan and have an abrupt clay increase in the argillic. Malinda soils are on hills and lava plateaus, are loamy and are shallow to a lithic contact. Ollierivas soils are on mounds, and are moderately deep to a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow but has a slow permeability in the lower part of the Bt..
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing. The native vegetation is mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and Rubber rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lassen County, California. The soils are not extensive. MLRA is 21.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lassen County, California, Intermountain Soil Survey Area 1994. Source of name is from Lonkey Hill.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 24 inches (A, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4).
Argillic horizon - 4 to 24 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4).
Lithic Contact - the boundary at about 24 inches.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Reference samples were sent to the NSSL in 1983.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.