LOCATION LOVELACE                CA

Established Series
Rev. AFF/GWH/TDC
09/2015

LOVELACE SERIES

The Lovelace series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed from mixed but dominantly granitic alluvium. Lovelace soils are on alluvial fans and have slopes of 5 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 63 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Typic Haplocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Lovelace loamy sand, on a 5 percent slope under creosotebush, white bursage, Joshua tree, annual grasses and forbs at 3,050 feet elevation. (Colors are dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described the soil was dry throughout.)

A1--0 to 6 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 6/4) loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 5 percent hard white 1/8 inch lime concretions; slightly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)

C1--6 to 19 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loamy sand, dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable; common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent (1/4 to 1/8 inch) hard white lime concretions; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)

C2ca--19 to 33 inches; white (10YR 8/1) loamy sand, light gray (10YR 7/1) moist; massive; very hard, firm; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 18 inches thick)

C3ca--33 to 49 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) sand, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; very hard, firm; many very fine interstitial pores; about 15 percent hard white irregular shaped 1 inch lime concretions; violently effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 19 inches thick)

C4--49 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4); massive; slightly hard, friable; common very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County; in Lucerne Valley, 1 mile east of Camp Rock Road on powerline access road in NE1/4 SE1/4 section 26, T.5N., R.1E.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 16 to 24 inches. The mean annual temperature at a depth of 20 inches is 63 to 67 degrees F. The soil is usually dry and is not continuously moist for as long as 60 days.

The A horizon is very pale brown, pale brown, light yellowish brown or light brown (10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/3, 7/4; 7.5YR 6/4). It is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

The C1 horizon (or upper part of the C horizon) is pale brown, brown or light brown (10YR 5/3, 6/3; 7.5YR 6/4). The C2ca and C3ca horizons are sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand. Some pedons are weakly cemented but can be penetrated by auger or spade. Some pedons below the C3ca horizon to depths of 60 inches are loamy sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arada and Knob Hill series in the same family. Arada soils have a calcic horizon deeper than 24 inches and are intermittently moist in the summer. Knob Hill soils have 20 to 35 percent rock fragments and are intermittently moist in the summer.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Lovelace soils are on alluvial fans. Slopes are 5 to 8 percent and elevation is 3,000 to 3,300 feet. The soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources but mainly granitic rock. The average annual precipitation is 4 to 6 inches, falling mainly as rain in late autumn and winter though some occasionally falls as snow. The mean annual temperature is about 61 to 65 degrees F.; the mean January temperature is about 44 degrees F.; and the mean July temperature is about 83 degrees F. The frost free season is about 200 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cajon, Lavic and Manet soils. Cajon and Manet soils lack a calcic horizon. Lavic soils have a coarse, loamy control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat, recreation and as rangeland following winter rains. Native vegetation is creosotebush, Joshua tree, bursage, shadscale, annual grasses and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alluvial fans of the Mojave Desert. The soils are inextensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California (Mojave River Area), 1978.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 9/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/1997. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.