LOCATION NASAGOLD CA

Established Series
REV: PBF/ET
12/2015

NASAGOLD SERIES

The Nasagold series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium. The Nasagold soils are on fan aprons, alluvial flats and fan skirts. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 millimeters (5 inches), and the mean annual temperature is about 18.5 degrees C (65 degrees F.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: On Nasagold gravelly fine sandy loam, 0 to 4 percent slopes at an elevation of 3,155 feet (962 meters). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on August 27, 1996, the soil was dry throughout.) The soil surface is covered by 30 percent gravel.

A -- 0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; few very fine and fine interstitial pores throughout; 30 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 15 centimeters thick)

Bw -- 8 to 43 centimeters (3 to 17 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; few very fine and fine tubular pores throughout; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 93 centimeters thick)

C1 -- 43 to 95 centimeters (17 to 38 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; few very fine and fine tubular pores throughout; strongly effervescent; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary.

C2 -- 95 to 150 centimeters (38 to 60 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; few very fine and fine tubular pores throughout; strongly effervescent; 10 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 7,750 feet east and 400 feet north of the NE corner of sec. 36, T. 16 N., R. 4 E. in an unsectionalized area, 35 degrees, 26 minutes, and 18 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 28 minutes, and 05 seconds west longitude, USGS Red Pass Lake NW 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0548260e 3921570n (DTM: NAS-C).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and September following summer convection storms. The soils have a typic-aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 17 to 22 degrees C (63 to 72 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 5 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 1 percent cobbles.

Control section
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Effervescence: Effervescent within 50 centimeters (20 inches) of the soil surface.
Rock fragments: 3 to 30 percent, mainly gravel.

A or AB horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand, sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 4 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Salinity: 0 to 2 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5.

Bw horizons
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, and 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 3 to 30 percent gravel.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
Salinity: 0 to 2 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5.

C horizon
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand, sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Clay content: 5 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 35 percent gravel.
Effervescence: slightly to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent.
Salinity: 0 to 2 dS/m.
Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 to 5.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Agustin (AZ), Filaree (AZ), Hayhook (AZ), Lostman (AZ), Pajarito (NM), Pyxo (CA) and Sahuarita (AZ) series. Agustin, Filaree, Hayhook, and Sahuarita soils receive more precipitation (from 175 to 275 millimeters). In addition, Agustin soils are moist for longer than 20 days following summer convection storms and allow strata of sandy clay loam textures. Filaree and Hayhook soils also are noneffervescent above 50 centimeters (20 inches). Hayhook and Pajarito soils are moist for more than 20 days cumulative following summer convection storms. Lostman soils have 5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent in the particle size control section which increases with depth. Pyxo soils are moderately deep to calcareous sedimentary weathered bedrock. Sahuarita soils have a buried argillic horizon below 50 centimeters (20 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Nasagold soils are on fan aprons, alluvial flats and fan skirts. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. The soils formed in material from mixed alluvium. Elevations are 2,100 to 4,500 feet (640 to 1372 meters). The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 175 millimeters (3 to 7 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 13 to 20 degrees C (55 to 68 degrees F.). The frost-free season is 240 to 320 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crackerjack, Cronese, Goldivide, Granitepass, and Tipnat soils. Crackerjack and Cronese soils are on convex fan remnants. Crackerjack soils are shallow to a weakly to moderately-cemented duripan. Cronese soils have a calcic horizon. Goldivide soils are on smooth fan remnants and are moderately deep to an argillic horizon. Granitepass soils are higher on the landscape and do not have a cambic horizon. Tipnat soils are on similar landscape positions, have a fine-loamy particle size control section, and have a natric horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; negligible to very low runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Nasagold soils are used for military exercises, recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is fourwing saltbush, cattle saltbush, burrobush, creosote bush, big galleta and Indian ricegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. The series is of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches) (A horizon)
Cambic horizon - from a depth of 8 to 43 centimeters (3 to 17 inches) (Bw horizon)
Particle size control section - from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (10 to 40 inches) (part of Bw1, Bw2 and upper part of C horizons)

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2012. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.