LOCATION LILLIS                  CA

Established Series
Rev. MAV/KDA
01/2023

LILLIS SERIES

The Lillis series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils on fan skirts. These saline-sodic soils formed in alluvium derived dominantly from igneous and/or sedimentary rock. Slope is 0 to 1 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 8 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Very-fine, smectitic, thermic Halic Haploxererts

TYPICAL PEDON: Lillis clay - on a nearly level slope of less than 0.1 percent in a previously irrigated fallow field at 165 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described September 12, 1985, the soil was dry from 0 to 21 inches and moist below.)

Ap1--0 to 2 inches; mixed light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and pale olive (5Y 6/3) clay, mixed olive gray (5Y 5/2) and olive (5Y 5/3) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure parting to strong very fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and common fine interstitial pores; cracks are 13 mm to 4 cm wide; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 2 percent; electrical conductivity is 9.7 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 20; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick).

Ap2--2 to 7 inches; mixed light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay, mixed olive gray (5Y 5/2) and olive (5Y 5/3) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and few medium interstitial pores; cracks are 13 mm to 4 cm wide; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 2 percent; electrical conductivity is 15.8 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 39; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick).

Bnssz--7 to 13 inches; mixed gray (5Y 5/1) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) clay, mixed dark gray (5Y 4/1) and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and common medium interstitial pores; common intersecting slickensides; cracks are 1 mm to 5 mm wide; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 percent; few fine rounded gypsum crystals; electrical conductivity is 26.5 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 55; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick).

Bnssyz--13 to 21 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; moderate very coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine interstitial pores; many slickensides; many pressure faces; cracks are 1 mm to 5 mm wide; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 percent; common fine rounded gypsum crystals; electrical conductivity is 28.1 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 59; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 25 inches thick).

Bnzg--21 to 28 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) clay, gray (5Y 5/1) moist, color changes slightly on exposure to air; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist redoximorphic masses of iron accumulation; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 2 percent; electrical conductivity is 30.9 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 66; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick).

Bknzg1--28 to 39 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) clay; olive gray (5Y 5/2) moist, color changes slightly on exposure to air; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; common pressure faces; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated as common fine irregular soft masses, calcium carbonate equivalent is 2 percent; electrical conductivity is 35.0 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 72; many fine (2 to 5 mm) shell fragments; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 15 inches thick).

Bknzg2--39 to 48 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) clay; variegated olive gray (5Y 4/2) and dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist, color changes slightly on exposure to air; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; very slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated as fine irregular soft masses, calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 percent; electrical conductivity is 35.5 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 71; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick).

Bknzg3--48 to 60 inches; olive gray (5Y 5/2) clay, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist, color changes slightly on exposure to air; massive; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular pores; many pressure faces; very slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated as common fine irregular soft masses, calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 percent; electrical conductivity is 38.6 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio is 66; moderately alkaline (8.1).

TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California; approximately 3 miles west southwest of the community of Tranquillity and 210 feet north of Adams Avenue; 210 feet north and 812 feet west of the southeast corner of section 10, T. 15 S., R. 15 E., MDB&M; Latitude 36 degrees, 37 minutes, 58 seconds north and 120 degrees, 19 minutes, 09 seconds west; USGS Tranquillity Topographic Quadrangle, NAD 27.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Unless irrigated, vertical cracks extend from the surface and range from 0.5 to 2 inches wide at a depth of 20 inches. The cracks usually close from December thru April for 100 to 151 consecutive days. Intersecting slickensides occur in some horizon or horizons below a depth of 7 inches. Linear extensibility is 11 to 30 percent. The mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 65 degrees F. Organic matter content is less than 1 percent.Calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 to 3 percent. It is saline-sodic throughout the profile. Depth to a salic horizon is 20 to 35 inches. Clay content is 60 to 70 percent above 1 meter and is 40 to 70 percent below 1 meter.

The A horizon has color of 5Y 5/1, 5/2, 6/2, 6/3; 2.5Y 4/4, 5/2, 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 5Y 4/1, 4/2, 5/2, 5/3; 2/5Y 4/2 or 4/4. Electrical conductivity is 4 to 20 decisiemens per meter. Sodium adsorption ratio is 13 to 60. Gypsum crystals may be present.

The B horizon has color of 5Y 5/2, 6/2, 7/2, 7/1; 2.5Y 6/2 or 6/4. Moist color is 5Y 4/1, 4/2, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4; 2.5Y 4/2 or 4/4. Moist distinct or prominent redoximorphic features have color of 5GY 5/1; 5Y 3/1, 4/1, 5/3, 5/4; 2.5Y 4/4, 5/3, 5/6, 6/6; 10YR 4/4, 5/4, 5/6 or 6/6. Texture is clay or silty clay. Electrical conductivity is 8 to 50 decisiemens per meter. Sodium adsorption ratio is 40 to 90. Gypsum crystals and shell fragments may be present.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Lillis soils are on fan skirts. The soils formed in alluvium derived dominantly from igneous and/or sedimentary rock. Slope is 0 to 1 percent. Elevation is 160 to 185 feet. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool, somewhat moist winters. Fog is common in the winter. The mean annual precipitation is 7 to 8 inches. Mean January temperature is about 44 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 81 degrees F; mean annual temperature ranges from 62 to 63 degrees F. The frost-free season is 230 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tachi and Tranquillity series. Tachi soils, on flood plains and basin floors, have a mollic epipedon and do not have a salic horizon. Tranquillity soils, on fan skirts, do not have a salic horizon and have a fine particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; high runoff; very slow permeability. A perched water table is at a depth of 4 to 6 feet.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for wildlife habitat and recreation in wildlife management areas. Vegetation consists primarily of timothy, watergrass and saltbush (Atriplex). They are also used for irrigated crops such as cotton and barley.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Joaquin Valley, near Mendota and Tranquillity, California. The series is not extensive. MLRA 17.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fresno County, California, 2002. Lillis soils are named after Lillis Ranch Quadrangle and Lillis Ranch, a well-known site in Fresno County.

REMARKS: Previously mapped as Levis silty clay in the Soil Survey of the Mendota Area, California, Series 1940, No. 18.


Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

1. OCHRIC EPIPEDON--0 to 13 inches (Apl, Ap2, Bnssz).
1.1 Moist colors have values greater than 3.5.

1. VERTISOL FEATURES
1.1 Unless irrigated, vertical cracks extend from the surface and range from 0.5 to 2 inches wide at a depth of 20 inches.
1.2 The typical pedon, which was cultivated and irrigated, had cracks to a depth of 21 inches. They ranged in size from 4 cm to 1 mm. Intersecting slickensides occur between the depths of 7 and 21 inches in the typical pedon.
1.3 The cracks usually close from December thru April for 100 to 150 consecutive days
1.4 COLE values range from 0.12 to 0.20 cm/cm in the typical pedon.


2. VERY-FINE FAMILY
2.1 NSSL results show 61 to 66 percent clay in the typical pedon. There is 64 percent clay in the 10 to 40 inch particle-size control section.

3. SMECTITIC MINERALOGY
3.1 NSSL results show a predominance of smectite. Cracking and very-fine particle-size class are further evidence of the mineralogy.

4. THERMIC TEMPERATURE REGIME
4.1 Soil temperature regime is assumed to be thermic based upon data from Helm, CA (about 20 miles SE of typical site).
4.2 Based on two of our soil temperature sites 18 and 24 miles SE of the typical site with 3 years of quarterly data. Soil temperature is 62 to 65 degrees F.

5. PRECIPITATION

5.1 MAP is about 8 inches based upon data from Mendota Dam, CA (about 10 miles N of the typical pedon).

6. XERERT SUBORDER

6.1 The soil temperature exceeds 47 degrees F, from Jan. to Dec. (365 days). Within this time period cracks are closed for 100 to 151 consecutive days.
6.2 Cracks are open from May thru November.

The moisture control section data are as follows:

J F M A M J J A S O N D
MONTHS: |...|...|...|...|...|...|...|...|...|...|...|...|

CRACKS |...|...|...|...|<-------214 DAYS---------->|...|
OPEN

CRACKS ----151 DAYS-->|...........................|<--
CLOSED

EXCEEDS 41
DEGREES F. |<---------------------------365 DAYS---------->|

EXCEEDS 47
DEGREES F. |<----------------------------365 DAYS--------->|
7. 7. HALIC SUBGROUP
7.1 Electrical conductivity is greater than 15 decisiemens per meter below a depth of 13 inches.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data sample numbers S85CA-019-001 (5348-5356) for the typical pedon.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.