LOCATION MARCUSE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Sodic Endoaquerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Marcuse clay, Australian saltbush, pickleweed, and meadow barley. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A11--0 to 7 inches; faintly mottled grayish brown and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2, 4/2) clay, dark grayish brown and very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2, 3/2) moist; massive; except for surface 1 inch which has moderately fine granular structure; extremely hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common gypsum seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary.
A12--7 to 9 inches; mottled grayish brown and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/2, 5/4) silty clay, very dark grayish brown and olive brown (2.5Y 4/4, 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine pores; common gypsum seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 4 inches thick)
B21--9 to 14 inches; mottled dark gray and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/1; 2.5Y 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; very few thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; gypsum in seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
B22ca--14 to 24 inches; mottled brown and dark grayish brown (10YR 5/3; 2.5Y 4/2) clay, very dark grayish brown and dark brown (10YR 3/2, 3/3) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and very plastic; few very fine and common fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; violently effervescent, lime is disseminated and in seams and soft masses; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
B3--24 to 37 inches; mottled dark grayish brown and olive brown (10YR 4/2; 2.5Y 4/4) clay, very dark grayish brown, dark grayish brown and olive brown (10YR 3/2; 2.5Y 4/2, 4/4) moist; weak medium angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; strongly effervescent, lime id disseminated and in small soft bodies; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 22 inches thick)
C--37 to 60 inches; mottled dark grayish brown, brown and grayish brown (10YR 4/2, 4/3; 2.5Y 5/2) clay, dark brown with very dark grayish brown and olive gray mottled (10YR 3/3; 2.5Y 3/2; 5Y 4/2) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; very few thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly effervescent, lime is disseminated and in small bodies; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (20 to 30 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Contra Costa County, California; about 6 miles southeast of Brentwood, northeast of intersection of State Highway 4 and Bixler Road in the SW1/4 SW1/4 NW1/4 section 25, T.1N., R.3E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are saturated from about the 15th of November to about the 1st of March unless artificially drained. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees F. Depth to the carbonates ranges from 12 to 20 inches. Cracks 1/2 to 1 inch wide extending to depths of 20 to 30 inches occur at some period in most years.
The A1 horizon has dry color of 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2; 10YR 5/3. It is heavy silty clay loam, silty clay or clay and is moderately or strongly alkaline. It is massive or has weak very coarse prismatic structure.
The B2 horizon is silty clay or clay is moderately or strongly alkaline (pH 8.0 to 9.0).
The C horizon is silty clay loam, silty clay or clay. It has over 15 percent exchangeable sodium with increases with depth.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Gladewater, Kobel and Leepers series. Gladewater, Kobel and Leepers have soil reaction less than 7.9 and lack lime content.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Marcuse soils are on nearly level flood plains and basin rims at elevations of 0 to 90 feet. Slopes are less than 1 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from sedimentary rock. The climate is Mediterranean with an average annual precipitation of 10 to 14 inches. The mean annual temperature ranges from 58 to 62 degrees F. The frost free season is 250 to 275 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alviso, Sycamore, Brentwood, Pesero, Piper, Rincon, and Sacramento soils. Brentwood and Rincon soils lack mottles. Pesero and Pescadero soils have natric horizons. Sacromento soils have a mollic epipedon. Piper soils have a calcareous solum.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Very poorly drained. Drainage has been improved by reclamation and flood control structures. Slow to very slow runoff or is ponded; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for irrigated pasture, dryland saltgrass pasture, and a few areas are use for row crops. DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central California, along west side of lower San Joaquin Valley. The series is not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Marysville Area, California, 1909.
REMARKS: The Markuse soils were formerly classified as Cheernozem Solonchak soils.