LOCATION NEDSGULCH CA

Established Series
DWB/JBB/TKK/JW
09/2018

NEDSGULCH SERIES

The Nedsgulch series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in colluvium and residuum from schist. The Nedsgulch soils are on side slopes of high hills and mountain. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 965 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 14 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Ultic Palexeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Nedsgulch gravelly loam on a northwest facing, 10 percent, convex slope under whiteleaf manzanita, toyon and interior live oak at an elevation of 709 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on July 18, 2007 the soil was dry throughout.)

A--0 to 8 cm; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; 13 percent clay; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine irregular pores; 18 percent subangular schist channers; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

BAt--8 to 23 cm; brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; 17 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent faint clay films on surfaces along pores and 5 percent faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; 20 percent subangular schist channers; slightly acid (pH 6.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 22 cm thick)

Bt1--23 to 39 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 21 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, slightly plastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent faint clay films on surfaces along pores and 10 percent faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; 25 percent subangular schist channers; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary. (12 to 48 cm thick)

Bt2--39 to 62 cm; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 25 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 5 percent faint clay films on surfaces along pores and 10 percent faint clay films on vertical faces of peds; 25 percent subangular schist channers; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (16 to 70 cm thick)

Bt3--62 to 84 cm; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) gravelly clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; 30 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 15 percent distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds and 15 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores; 20 percent subangular schist channers; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt4--84 to 113 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) gravelly clay loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; 30 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine, medium, and coarse roots; few very fine tubular pores; 10 percent distinct clay films on surfaces along pores and 15 percent distinct clay films on vertical faces of peds; 30 percent subangular schist channers; moderately acid (pH 5.9); gradual smooth boundary.

Bt5--113 to 148 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 35 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent prominent clay films on vertical faces of peds and 30 percent prominent clay films on surfaces along pores; 45 percent subangular schist channers; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the lower Bt horizons is 18 to 140 cm)

BCt--148 to 185 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) extremely gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 35 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; few fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; 30 percent prominent clay films on vertical faces of peds and 30 percent prominent clay films on rock fragments; 70 percent subangular schist parachanners; slightly acid (pH 6.1). (25 to 60 cm thick)

Cr--185 to 205 cm; moderately cemented mica schist bedrock, fractured at intervals of 10 to 45 cm.

TYPE LOCATION: Calaveras County, California, 3.4 km (2.1 miles) NW of Murphys CA., USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Murphys, California; WGS84 38.166527 latitude and -120.478363 longitude; UTM Zone 10 720907 meters E 4227300 meters N; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 12 to 15 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a mesic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about June to October (about 120 days). The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 7 to 25 cm
Argillic horizon thickness: 50 to 180 cm
Depth to paralithic contact: greater than 150 cm

Base saturation: less than 75 percent (by sum of cations) throughout the argillic horizon.

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent, with 0 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles.
Clay content: averages 18 to 27 percent clay

A horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent
0 to 25 percent gravel or channers
0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: moderately to slightly acid (5.6-6.5)

BAt horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 14 to 25 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 25 percent
0 to 25 percent gravel or channers
0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: moderately to slightly acid (5.6-6.5)

Bt1 horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Clay content: 16 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent
0 to 30 percent gravel or channers
0 to 10 percent cobbles
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid (5.1-6.5)

Bt2 horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: clay loam, loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 50 percent
0 to 50 percent gravel or channers
0 to 20 percent cobbles
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid (5.1-6.5)

Lower Bt horizons (Bt3, Bt4, Bt5, where present)
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry or moist
Texture: clay loam, loam
Clay content: 23 to 38 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 60 percent
0 to 45 percent gravel or channers
0 to 25 percent cobbles
Reaction: strongly to slightly acid (5.1-6.5)

BCt horizon (or BC horizon, where present)
Hue: 2.5YR, 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: clay loam, loam
Clay content: 20 to 40 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 80 percent
0 to 75 percent gravel or channers
0 to 35 percent cobbles
Pararock fragments: 0 to 75 percent
Reaction: strongly to slightly to strongly acid (5.1-6.5)

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Nedsgulch soils are on backslopes and side slopes of hills. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from schist. Elevation is 390 to 1175 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 800 to 1225 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 12 to 16 degrees C. The frost free season is 180 to 285 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arpatutu, Sites, and Wallyhill soils. The Arpatutu soils are on concave hillslopes, are loamy-skeletal and moderately deep to a lithic contact. The Sites soils are on mountains and ridges and are fine, with a percent base saturation of less than 35 percent. The Wallyhill soils are on convex hillslopes and are moderately deep to a paralithic contact.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity in the zone from 0 to 148 cm and moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity in the zone from 148 to 185 cm.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for watershed, wildlife habitat and some home site development. Vegetation includes whiteleaf manzanita, toyon, interior live oak, ponderosa pine, California black oak, Pacific poison oak, California buckthorn, mountain misery, incense cedar, deerbrush, and blue oak.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. The series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Calaveras County, California, 2018. Source of name from Neds Gulch on Murphys, CA 7.5 minute quadrangle.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 8 cm
Argillic Horizon 8 to 185 cm
Paralithic Contact 185 cm
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 8 to 58 cm.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: S08CA009001
Pedon Type: OSD pedon
Lab Source ID: SSL
Pedon Purpose: laboratory sampling site
Lab Pedon #: 08N0691

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.