LOCATION NONOPAHU HIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, mixed, active, isohyperthermic Chromic Haplotorrerts
TYPICAL PEDON: Nonopahu clay - sugarcane. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. All textures are "apparent field textures".)
Ap--0 to 17 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay, brown (7.5YR 4/2) dry, pockets of dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) and dark grayish brown (2.5YR 4/2); moderate coarse granular structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine roots; many medium interstitial pores, few medium tubular pores; common black concretions 1 mm. to 5 mm. in size; moderate effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 20 inches thick)
C1--17 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) dry; about 40 percent mottles of dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), and dark gray (10YR 4/1); weak coarse angular blocky structure; few slickensides; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many fine roots; few medium interstitial pores, many medium tubular pores; common concretions less than 2 mm; moderate effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; mildly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 16 inches thick)
C2--31 to 47 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) clay, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) dry; weak coarse angular blocky structure; common slickensides; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few fine roots; few medium tubular pores; common fine, black, hard concretions; slight effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (14 to 18 inches thick)
C3--47 to 65 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay. (10YR 5/3) dry; strong medium subangular blocky structure; common slickensides; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few fine roots; many interstitial pores; nearly continuous pressure faces on peds; many medium black stains on peds; strong effervescence with hydrogen peroxide; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Island of Kauai, Kauai County, Hawaii; Hanapepe Quadrangle, 21 degrees 54' 57" north latitude and 159 degrees 37' 26.5" west longitude; 55 feet south of plantation road intersection and 80 feet west of plantation road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil ranges from nonstony to stony. Some pedons contain ironstone gibbsite pebbles throughout. Unless the soil is irrigated, it has cracks more than 0.4 inch wide to a depth of 20 inches in most years. Mean annual soil temperature is about 74 degrees F.
The A horizon has value of 3 or 4 and chroma of 2 through 4.
The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 3 or 4. Mottles range from few to common.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Honouliuli, Kaena, Kapuhikani, Kokokahi, Lualualei, Makalapa, Papaa, and Waihuna series. Honouliuli soils have 5YR hue throughout. Kaena soils have mottles throughout. Kapuhikani soils are less than 40 inches deep over hard rock. Kokokahi soils have moist and dry chroma of 1 in the upper 12 inches. Makalapa soils have montmorillonitic mineralogy and are 20 to 40 inches deep over volcanic tuff. Waihuna soils have mean annual soil temperature of less than 71.6 degrees F. and moist color value in the A horizon of 3 or less.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Nonopahu soils are on uplands at elevation ranging from near sea level to about 800 feet. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent. The soils formed in residuum weathered from basic igneous rocks that are relatively high in olivine phenochrysts. The mean annual rainfall is 23 to 40 inches. Average January temperature is about 71 degrees F., average July temperature is about 78 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Koloa, Makaweli and Waikoma soils. Koloa soils have hue of 5YR or redder. Makaweli soils have hue of 2.5YR or redder. Waikomo soils are shallow to hard rock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most of these soils are used for growing sugarcane. Principal vegetation on uncultivated areas is koa-haole (Leucaena glauca), klu (Acacia farnesiana), feather fingergrass (Chloris virgata).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This series is on the east and south slopes of the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The extent is about 900 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Soil Survey, Territory of Hawaii, 1949.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 5/78.