LOCATION MCDERMAND CA

Established Series
CES/JBB/JTW
09/2021

MCDERMAND SERIES

The McDermand series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils formed in slope alluvium, alluvium, colluvium and till over residuum weathered from granite. The McDermand soils are in cirques and on mountain slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 1075 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic Vitrandic Cryorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: McDermand mucky fine sandy loam on a south-facing (200 degree), 10 percent slope under purple mountainheath and dwarf bilberry at an elevation of 3352 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on July 24, 2012 the soil was moist throughout.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mucky fine sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; 65 percent sand; 26 percent silt; 9 percent clay; moderate very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; NaF pH 7.4; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 13N02214

A2--5 to 15 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 84 percent sand; 14 percent silt; 2 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and many fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron with clear boundaries in matrix; 7 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 5 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 2 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 10.4; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 13N02215

A3--15 to 25 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 90 percent sand; 9 percent silt; 1 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and common fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 20 percent subangular indurated granite gravel, 8 percent subangular indurated granite cobbles, 5 percent subangular indurated granite stones; NaF pH 10.6; strongly acid (pH 5.5); clear smooth boundary. (combined thickness of A horizons is 5 to 30 cm) Lab sample # 13N02216

C1--25 to 34 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 90 percent sand; 8 percent silt; 2 percent clay; structureless massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and common fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 22 percent subangular indurated granite gravel, 8 percent subangular indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 10.3; moderately acid (pH 5.6); gradual smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N02217

C2--34 to 51 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) very gravelly coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 89 percent sand; 10 percent silt; 0 percent clay; structureless massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine irregular pores; 15 percent medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist, masses of oxidized iron with diffuse boundaries in matrix; 33 percent subangular indurated granite gravel, 7 percent subangular indurated granite cobbles; NaF pH 10.2; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 13N02218

2R--51 to 200 cm; Indurated granite bedrock, fractured at intervals of 45 to <100 cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California, near Sapphire Lake in Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon National Park; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Mount Darwin, California; WGS84 37.152236 latitude and -118.693357 longitude; UTM zone 11 4113103 meters N 349627 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is -1 to 5 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is less than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about September to October (about 50 days). The soils contain a seasonal water table as high as 30 cm during the winter, spring and early summer months, falling to below 100 cm during late summer and fall.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 18 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm

Depth to redoximorphic features: 10 to 50 cm

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, with 15 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones.
Clay content: 1 to 8 percent
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.0

A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 to 4 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry, 1 or 2 moist
Texture: fine sandy loam, sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand, coarse sand
Clay content: 0 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 45 percent
0 to 25 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Reaction: very strongly to strongly acid
NaF pH: 7.0 to 11.0

C horizons (or Bw horizons, where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture: loamy sand, coarse sand, sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, very fine sandy loam
Clay content: 0 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent
0 to 50 percent gravel
0 to 25 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
Pararock fragments: 0 to 35 percent paragravel
Reaction: very strongly to moderately acid
NaF pH: 9.0 to 11.5
Redoximorphic Features:
Oxidized iron and iron-manganese masses in matrix
Quantity: none to common
Size: fine, medium, and coarse

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Evolution, Lapin, and Siberian soils. Evolution soils have a densic contact within 100 to 150 cm of the mineral soil surface, and redox concentrations within 50 to 100 cm of the mineral soil surface. Lapin soils have a densic contact between 50 and 100 cm of the mineral soil surface. Siberian soils have a densic contact between 100 and 200 cm of the mineral soil surface.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The McDermand soils are in swales and on structural benches in cirques and on mountain slopes. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. These soils formed in slope alluvium, alluvium, colluvium, and till over residuum weathered from granite. Elevation is 2275 to 4140 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 620 to 1505 mm and the mean annual air temperature is -2 to 4 degrees C. The frost free season is 40 to 100 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Forgotten and Langille soils. The Forgotten soils formed in the channels and floodplain steps of high gradient drainageways and do not have a lithic contact. The Langille soils formed on convex structural benches and are moderately deep, loamy-skeletal, and well drained.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained, high to very high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is very low to high. Rare or occasional flooding for very brief duration from May to June. Seasonal high water table between 30 to 100 cm.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is purple mountainheath, dwarf bilberry, and shorthair reedgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are of limited extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Fresno County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name from Lake McDermand in Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 51 cm.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 18 cm
Redox Concentrations 5 to 15 cm and 34 to 51 cm
Lithic Contact 51 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
Pedon Type: representative pedon for component Lab Source ID: SSL
Pedon Purpose: laboratory sampling site Lab Pedon #: 13N0502
NASIS User Pedon ID: S2012CA019003

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.