LOCATION MASONIC                 CA

Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC-JBF
04/2017

MASONIC SERIES

The Masonic series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in residuum and colluvium derived from andesite, andesitic tuff and tuff breccias with surficial additions of eolian volcanic ash. Masonic soils are on mountains. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 380 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 7 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Vitrandic Argixerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Masonic very gravelly ashy fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered with 30 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, 5 percent stones, and 2 percent boulders.

A--0 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very gravelly ashy fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; 35 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 25 cm thick)

Bt1--10 to 18 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly ashy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common faint clay bridges between sand grains; 50 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)

Bt2--18 to 25 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely gravelly ashy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 50 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 25 cm thick)

2Bt--25 to 53 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/3) extremely cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; strong fine subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, very sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; many distinct clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; 40 percent gravel and 30 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6); clear irregular boundary. (13 to 36 cm thick)

2Cr--53 to 79 cm; weathered andesitic tuff.

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest about 2 miles north-northwest of Masonic Mountain; approximately 300 feet south and 100 feet west of the northeast corner of section 18, T. 6 N., R. 26 E.; USGS Bridgeport 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 22 minutes 28.6 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 09 minutes 16.6 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.3746125 latitude, -119.1546108 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually moist in the moisture control section during late fall, winter, and spring; dry from July through early October for 75 to 90 consecutive days in the four months following the summer solstice; xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 76 cm; includes the Bt horizons.
Depth to bedrock: 50 to 100 cm to a paralithic contact. The paralithic materials below the contact are weathered volcanic rock such as andesitic tuff.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 20 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 60 to 80 percent, mainly gravel and cobbles. Lithology of rock fragments is andesitic tuff.

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 35 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

Bt1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very gravelly ashy sandy loam or very gravelly ashy loam.
Clay content: 18 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 35 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.

Bt2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Extremely gravelly ashy loam or extremely gravelly ashy clay loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 80 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Volcanic glass content: 5 to 25 percent in the coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
Oxalate extractable aluminum plus one-half oxalate iron: 0.2 to 0.4 percent.

2Bt3 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Texture: Extremely cobbly clay loam or extremely gravelly loam.
Clay content: 25 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Conwayridge, Ginserly, Imnaha, Loganvalley, Needhill, Roundbarn, Saturday, Skullhollow, and Wilt series.

Conwayridge and Loganvalley soils are very deep. Ginserly, Needhill, and Saturday soils are deep to lithic contacts. Imnaha, Skullhollow, and Wilt soils are moderately deep to lithic contacts. Roundbarn soils are deep to paralithic contacts.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Masonic soils are on mountains. They typically occur on shoulder and backslope positions. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from andesite, andesitic tuff and tuff breccias with surficial additions of eolian volcanic ash. The probable sources of the volcanic ash are the Mono Craters and Long Valley Caldera in eastern California. Slopes are 4 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 2,015 to 2,440 meters. The climate is continental with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 360 to 400 mm, the mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 50 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Domehill and Epvip soils. Domehill soils are ashy-skeletal and are very shallow and shallow to lithic contacts. Epvip soils are ashy-skeletal and are shallow to paralithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; moderately slow permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Masonic soils are used for livestock grazing, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly mountain big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, western needlegrass, basin wildrye, and scattered singleleaf pinyon.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, in the western part of the Great Basin. These soils are not extensive.MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 53 cm (A, Bt1, Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 53 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and part of the 2Bt3 horizons).
Vitrandic intergrade feature - The zone from the soil surface to 25 cm (A, Bt1, and Bt2 horizons).
Paralithic contact - The boundary at 53 cm to underlying soft, weathered bedrock (2Cr layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 50 cm (Bt1, Bt2, and 2Bt3 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: Volcanic glass content determined locally by optical grain count with a polarizing petrographic microscope.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.