LOCATION LUCKYFUSE CA

Established Series
Rev. PBF/ET
09/2015

LUCKYFUSE SERIES

The Luckyfuse series consists of moderately deep to a duripan, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. The Luckyfuse soils are on erosional fan remnants. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 5 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 66 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: On Luckyfuse-Crackerjack association, 2 to 15 percent slopes at an elevation of 3,470 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

The surface is covered by approximately 60 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 1 inch; brown (10YR 5/3) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate thin platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, few fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; 50 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)

Bw--1 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; very slightly effervescent; 25 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)

Bt--6 to 22 inches; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong fine and medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and fine, few medium roots; many prominent continuous clay films on faces of peds; very slightly effervescent; 3 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)

Btk--22 to 29 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine subangular structure; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common prominent discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent, very few carbonate threads throughout; 33 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 13 to 29 inches)

Bkqm--29 to 34 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) indurated duripan, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; discontinuous laminar cap 1 to 2 mm thick.

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 2,000 feet east and 2,500 feet north of the SW corner of sec. 1, T. 14 N., R. 2 E., 35 degrees, 20 minutes, and 05 seconds north latitude, and 116 degrees, 43 minutes, and 29 second west longitude, Fort Irwin, California quadrangle, UTM 11S, 0525023e 3910011n (DATUM: NAS-C).

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 October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 63 to 68 degrees F.

Surface rock fragments: 40 to 85 percent; with 35 to 60 percent gravel and 1 to 25 percent cobbles

Control section -
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent

Rock fragments: averages less than 15 percent

Depth to duripan: 20 to 35 inches

Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

A horizon
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 3 to 5 moist

Chroma: 3 or 4 moist

Clay content: 10 to 15 percent

Rock fragments: 40 to 65 percent; with 35 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles

Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent

Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bw horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 3 or 4 moist

Clay content: 10 to 15 percent

Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam

Rock fragments: 5 to 30 percent; with 5 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 2 percent cobbles

Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent

Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bt horizon
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 4 to 6 moist

Clay content: 18 to 30 percent

Texture of the fine earth: loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam

Rock fragments: 1 to 15 percent gravel

Effervescence: noneffervescent or very slightly effervescent

Btk horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist

Chroma: 4 to 6 dry

Clay content: 18 to 30 percent

Texture of the fine earth: loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam

Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel

Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cuddeback (CA), Nealy (AZ) and Tenwell (NV) series. Cuddeback soils are dry continuously in the moisture control section from April through October and have hues of 5YR or 7.5YR in the Bt horizon. Nealy soils have a calcic horizon with 15 to 25 percent calcium carbonate and overlie unconsolidated alluvium at a depth of 26 to 60 inches. Tenwell soils average more than 15 percent rock fragments and are strongly alkaline in the control section. In addition the control section is characterized by the presence of secondary carbonates.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Luckyfuse soils are on erosional fan remnants. Slope ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The soils formed in mixed alluvium. Elevations are 3,200 to 4,000 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. Most precipitation occurs in winter but a significant portion is received between July and September following convection storms. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 7 inches; mean annual air temperature is 61 to 66 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 240 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizo, Crackerjack and Fortirwin soils. Arizo soils are on alluvial fans and inset fans, have a sandy-skeletal particle-size control section and do not have a duripan or an argillic horizon. Crackerjack and Fortirwin soils are on similar landscape positions. Crackerjack soils have a loamy particle-size control section, are shallow to a cambidic duripan and do not have an argillic horizon. Fortirwin soils are shallow or very shallow to a duripan and have loamy particle-size control sections.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderately slow permeability above the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Luckyfuse soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosotebush, white bursage and range ratany.

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: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is from a training area on Fort Irwin.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:

1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 1 inch (A horizon)
2. Argillic horizon -- 6 to 26 inches (Bt1 horizon and part of the Bt2 horizon)
3. Duripan -- the zone beginning at 29 inches (Bkqm horizon)
4. Particle-size control section -- 6 to 26 inches

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.