LOCATION MELGA CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Natrixeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Melga loam, on a southwest facing slope of less than 1 percent under alkali sacaton, saltgrass and filaree at 250 feet elevations. (Colors are for soil unless otherwise state. When described on 4/9/75 the soil was slightly moist from 0 to 4 inches and was dry below.)
A1--0 to 1 inch; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; EC 1.5 mmhos; SAR 10; moderately acid (pH 5.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
A2--1 to 4 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; strong very thick platy structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; few moderately thick clay films in pores; EC 1.0 mmhos; SAR 9; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
B21tca--4 to 11 inches; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; strong medium prismatic structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; many thin clay films in pores and on peds; violently effervescent 2.0 percent calcium carbonate), lime disseminated and in common fine irregularly shaped soft masses and filaments; EC 10 mmhos; SAR 25; strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
B22tca--11 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few fine black concretions; many moderately thick clay films in pores and on peds; strongly effervescent (2.5 percent calcium carbonate), lime disseminated and in many medium irregularly shaped soft masses, filaments and concretions; EC 6.4 mmhos; SAR 70; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick)
C1sica--18 to 26 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/3) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; extremely hard and brittle when dry, very firm, sticky and plastic; common fine tubular pores; few thick clay films in pores; violently effervescent (11 percent calcium carbonate), disseminated lime; EC 5.0 mmhos; SAR 100; dry bulk density is 2.20 g/cm3; during prolonged soaking in water of HCL fragments slake and the resultant mass contains 30 to 40 percent plate shaped fragments smaller than 2 mm and a few angular durinodes ranging in size from 2 to 5 mm; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
C2--26 to 41 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; common fine distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine tubular pores very few moderately thick clay films in pores; slightly effervescent (1.0 percent calcium carbonate), lime segregated in few fine irregularly shaped soft masses; EC 4.0 mmhos; SAR 80; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
C3--41 to 59 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very fine sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; common fine distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; very few moderately thick clay films in pores; slightly effervescent (1.0 percent calcium carbonate), lime segregated in few fine irregularly shaped soft masses and filaments; EC 2.2 mmhos; SAR 30; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (18 to 20 inches thick)
C4--59 to 60 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; EC 0.8 mmhos; SAR 13; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2).
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, California; about 0.3 mile north of Grangeville Blvd. and 200 yards west of Cross Creek 1,200 feet south and 750 feet east of the center of section 24, T. 18 S., R. 22 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The thickness of the solum and the depth to a horizon which is weakly cemented with silica and lime range from 10 to 20 inches. The soil between depths of 4 and 10 inches is dry in all parts from April until December 1. It is dry in all parts intermittently the rest of the time and is not moist in some or all parts for as long as 90 consecutive days. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 64 degrees to 65 degrees F.
The A1 horizon has dry color of 10YR 4/2, 5/2, 6/1, 6/2; or 2.5Y 5/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 4/2; or 2.5Y 4/2. It is moderately acid or slightly acid.
The A2 horizon has dry color of 2.5Y 6/2, 7/2; or 10YR 7/1 and moist color of 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2; 10YR 5/1 or 5/2. it is neutral or slightly alkaline.
The B2t horizon has dry color of 10YR 4/2, 5/3, 6/3, 6/4; or 2.5Y 4/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/2, 4/2, 5/4; or 2.5Y 3/2. Mottles are present in some pedons and have moist color of 2.5Y N2/ or 10YR 4/4. Clay averages 27 to 35 percent and is estimated to be 5 to 18 percent more than the A horizon. Less than 15 percent of the particles are fine sand or coarser, by weighted average. Electrical conductivity (EC) range from 4 to 16 mmhos/cm. The sodium-adsorption-ratio (SAR) ranges from 50 to 250. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 1 to 3 percent.
The C1sica horizon has dry color of 10YR 8/3, 5/3 and moist color of 10YR 6/3, 4/2. It is weakly cemented with silica and lime, is extremely hard and brittle when dry and has very firm moist consistency. During prolonged soaking and lime, is extremely hard and brittle when dry and has very firm moist consistency. During prolonged soaking in water of HCL, fragments slake and the resultant mass contains 15 to 40 percent plate shaped fragments smaller than 2 mm and less than 2 percent angular durinodes ranging in size from 2 to 5 mm. Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 10 to 12 percent. Electrical conductivity (EC) ranges from 4 to 8 mmhos/cm. The sodium-adsorption-ration (SAR) ranges from 80 to 120.
The lower C horizon have dry color of 10YR 5/3, 6/4, 7/3; or 2.5Y 5/4 and moist color of 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/3, 5/4, 6/3; or 2.5Y 4/2. Strata of varying textures range from fine sandy loam to silty clay loam. They are noneffervescent to strongly effervescent. Lime is disseminated or segregated in soft masses, filaments or seams. Electrical conductivity (EC) of these C horizons ranges from 0.5 to 16 mmhos/cm. The sodium-adsorption-ratio (SAR) ranges from 13 to 120.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Beoska, Beowawe, Nyserva and Remnoy series in other families. Beoska, Beowawe and Nyserva soils have a fine-loamy particle-size control section and are mesic. Remnoy soils have a continuous indurated duripan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Melga soils are on flood plains at elevations of 220 to 280 feet. They formed in silty glacial outwash from sedimentary and igneous rocks. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 7 to 8 inches. The mean January temperature is about 45 degrees F., and the mean July temperature is about 81 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is about 62 degrees F. The frost-free season is 250 to 275 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Excelsior, Kimberlina, Nord, Wasco, Youd (T) and the competing Remnoy series. Excelsior, Kimberlina, Nord and Wasco soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section. Youd soils have a duripan.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very slow runoff; very slow permeability. The frequency of flooding is occasional and the duration of flooding is 2 to 14 days.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for irrigated cropland growing cotton, rice, barley, and irrigated pastureland after reclamation procedures are begun. The natural vegetation is annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Middle of the San Joaquin Valley near creek drainages from the Sierra Nevada. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, California, 1980.
REMARKS: The activity class was added to the classification in January of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET