LOCATION MINNIECREEK        CA
Established Series
IRD: DWB
10/2006

MINNIECREEK SERIES


The Minniecreek series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum from metavolcanic rocks, mainly greenschist. Minniecreek soils are on metamorphic Sierra Nevada foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 70 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 48 inches, (1219 mm) and the mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees F, (14 degrees C).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Minniecreek loam on a north facing 43 percent slope under a cover of whiteleaf manzanita, interior live oak, Pacific madrone, ponderosa pine and California black oak at an elevation of 2160 feet, (658 m). When described on 8/17/2000 the soil was dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

A--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), moist; 20 percent clay; strong medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; many fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent subangular gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches, (5 to 8 cm) thick)

BAt--2 to 8 inches, (5 to 20 cm); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4), moist; 22 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent subangular gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 6 inches, (0 to 15 cm) thick)

Bt1--8 to 15 inches, (20 to 38 cm); pink (7.5YR 7/4) loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist; 25 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common fine roots and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent subangular gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--15 to 24 inches, (38 to 61 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) silty clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6), moist; 30 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, moderately plastic; common fine roots and few medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent continuous distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and 20 percent continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 6 to 30 inches, (15 to 76 cm) thick).

BCt--24 to 32 inches, (61 to 81 cm); reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) silty clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6), moist; 37 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots and common coarse roots; many fine tubular pores; 20 percent continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds strongly acid, pH 5.5 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches, (0 to 25 cm) thick)

Crt1--32 to 47 inches, (81 to 119 cm); moderately cemented weathered greenschist; common fine roots and few medium roots in cracks; 80 percent continuous prominent clay films; gradual smooth boundary.

Crt2--47 to 58 inches, (119 to 147 cm); moderately cemented weathered greenschist; common fine roots and few medium roots in cracks; 80 percent continuous prominent clay films; gradual wavy boundary.

Cr--58 to 75 inches, (147 to 190 cm); moderately cemented greenschist bedrock, bedding plane tilted to 30 degrees; common medium roots around rocks.

TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 1.6 miles southeast of Bloomer Hill Lookout, approximately 1500 feet west and 1500 feet north of the southeast corner of Section 31, Township 21 N., Range 5 E., 39 degrees, 37 minutes, 47.91 seconds North latitude; 121 degrees, 27 minutes, 20.51 seconds West longitude. NAD83 - U.S.G.S. Quad: Berry Creek, California.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic bedrock is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 53 to 59 degrees F, (12 to 14 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about June to about October (about 120 days). The particle-size control section averages 25 to 30 percent clay, with silt content up to 50 percent and 2 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Mineralogy is mixed. Organic matter ranges from 1 to 4 percent to a depth of 15 inches and is less than 1 percent below. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 39 to 50 percent to a depth of 20 inches, (51 cm) and is 50 to 75 percent below. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones and 0 to 10 percent boulders. Some pedons have a BA horizon, some lack a BCt horizon.

The A horizon dry color is 10YR 5/3, 6/3, 6/4, 7.5YR 6/4 or 7/3. Moist color is 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 7.5YR 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is loam or gravelly loam with high silt content. Clay content ranges from 15 to 20 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.

The BAt horizon dry color is 10YR 6/4, 7/4, or 7.5YR 7/3. Moist color is 5YR 6/6, 7.5YR 5/4, 5/6, 6/4 or 10YR 4/4. Texture is loam, gravelly loam or very gravelly loam with high silt content. Clay content ranges from 18 to 22 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.

The Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 6/4, 6/6, 7/3, 7/4, 8/4, 8/6, 5YR 4/4, 6/4 or 6/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6, 5/4, 5YR 4/4 or 4/6. Texture is loam, gravelly loam, clay loam with high silt content or silty clay loam. Clay content ranges from 24 to 30 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 30 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.

The BCt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 7/4, or 7/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 5/6. Texture is silty clay loam or gravelly clay loam with high silt content. Clay content ranges from 29 to 37 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 20 percent gravel. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bigridge, Hospiter, Millerridge, Sitton, Speaker and Willakenzie series. Bigridge soils are deep to paralithic contact of greenschist. Hospiter and Sitton soils are very deep. Millerridge soils have magnesium-rich minerals in the series control section and have lower silt content. Speaker soils are dry for 60 to 90 days and can be strongly acid throughout and very strongly acid in the lower subsoil. Willakenzie soils are moderately deep to paralithic contact of tuffaceous sandstone, are dry for 45 to 60 days and can be strongly acid throughout.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Minniecreek soils are on metamorphic Sierra Nevada foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 70 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from metavolcanic rocks, mainly greenschist. Elevation is 1800 to 2800 feet, (549 to 853 m). Mean annual precipitation is 45 to 55 inches, (114 to 140 mm). The mean annual temperature is 56 to 57 degrees F, (13 to 14 degrees C). Frost free season is 230 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bigridge, Featherfalls, Hartsmill, Islandbar, Mounthope, and Surnuf soils. Bigridge soils are deep to paralithic contact of greenschist. Featherfalls soils are fine-loamy and are deep to paralithic contact of tronjhemite. Hartsmill soils are on foothills, are loamy-skeletal, are very deep to a paralithic contact of greenschist and are thermic. Islandbar soils are loamy-skeletal and are deep to paralithic contact of tronjhemite. Mounthope soils are on foothills, are fine-loamy, are deep to paralithic contact of greenschist and are thermic. Surnuf soils are on mountains, are fine and are very deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high runoff; moderate to moderately rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon, moderate in the BAt, Bt1 and Bt2 horizons and moderately slow in the Bt2 and BCt horizons.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife habitat, homesite development, and limited timber production. Vegetation is whiteleaf manzanita, interior live oak, Pacific madrone, ponderosa pine, California black oak, deerbrush, brackenfern and Pacific poison oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur in the (M261Fb) Lower Foothills Metamorphic Belt subsection of the (M261F) Sierra Nevada Foothills section. MLRA 18- Sierra Nevada Foothills. The soils are not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from Minnie Creek, Oroville Dam Quad.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 8 inches, (0 to 20 cm) (A, BAt)
Argillic horizon - zone from 8 to 32 inches, (20 to 81cm) (Bt1, Bt2, BCt)
Paralithic contact - zone from 32 to 75 inches, (81 to 190cm) (Crt1, Crt2, Cr)
Particle-size control section - zone from 8 to 28 inches, (20 to 71cm) (Bt1, Bt2, BCt)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 7 to 19 inches, (18 to 48cm)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Used data from Bigridge S00CA-007-014 NSSL Lincoln, NE.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.