LOCATION NOSONI CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Nosoni loam on a southwest facing 1 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses and rabbitbrush at an elevation of 3,450 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described May 13, 1981, the soil was moist throughout).
A--0 to 2 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
BA--2 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 18 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic parting to common medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many very fine and few fine roots; common thin clay films on peds and in pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary.
Bt2--18 to 27 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine and coarse roots; common very fine and few tubular pores; many thin clay films on peds and in pores; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Bt3--27 to 57 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on peds and many thin clay films in pores and bridging mineral grains; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt4--57 to 80 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few thin clay films on peds and many thin clay films in pores and bridging mineral grains; common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation; neutral (pH 7.0). (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 53 inches thick or more)
TYPE LOCATION: Shasta County, California; about 8.6 miles north of McArthur; 2,100 feet north and 1,150 feet west of the southeast corner of sec. 33, T. 39 N., R. 5 E., Fall River Mills NW (Timbered Crater) quadrangle (7.5 minute series).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to bedrock and solum thickness is greater than 80 inches. The thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 30 to 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from mid March to late December and exceeds 47 degrees F. from mid April to mid November. The soil moisture control section (7 to 20 inches) is moist in all parts from mid November through early June. The particle size control section (8 to 28 inches) averages 27 to 35 percent clay. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 60 to 75 percent. Organic matter ranges from 2 to 4 percent to a depth of 27 inches and decreases regularly with depth. Some pedons have C horizons with clay textures.
The A horizon color is 10YR 4/1, 4/2, 5/2 or 7.5YR 5/2. Moist color is 10YR 2/2, 3/1, 3/2 or 7.5YR 3/2. Clay content ranges from 18 to 27 percent.
The Bt horizon color is 10YR 4/2, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 6/3; 7.5YR 4/2, 5/2, 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2, 4/3; 7.5YR 3/2, 4/2, 3/4, or 4/4. Texture is sandy clay loam or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 27 to 35 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Barry (MI), Berville (MI), Brookston (IN), Buntingville (CA), Clackamas (OR), Cordova (MN), Forestcity (T MN), Hamel (MN), Jameston (IA), Marengo (OH), Millgrove (OH), Navan (WI), Rensselaer (IN), and Westland (IN) series. Barry soils have less than 25 percent clay in the particle size control section. Berville soils have gravelly textures in the solum and carbonates in the 2C horizons. Brookston soils have solum thickness of 30 to 60 inches. Buntingville soils have Btk and Bk horizons. Clackamas soils are moderately acid or strongly acid, have gravelly textures within a depth of 36 inches and have a solum unconformable 2Cg horizons at 11 to 36 inches. Cordova soils have a mollic epipedon 10 to 24 inches thick and slightly acid to strongly acid Btg horizons. Hamel soils have Bt horizons 12 to 30 inches thick. Jamestown soils have very firm glacial till 2B horizons about 16 to 36 inches thick with distinct grayish coatings with chroma of 1. Marengo soils have Btg and Bg horizons that are moderately acid or slightly acid and have 10 to 18 inches thick mollic epipedons. Millgrove soils have a solum that is less than 55 inches thick and contain gravel in the lower part of the solum. Navan and Rensselaer soils have carbonates in the lower part of the solum. Westland soils have a 10 to 20 inches thick mollic epipedon and 40 to 60 inches solum thickness. Forestcity soils ?????
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nosoni soils are on terraces and basin edges. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from extrusive igneous rock. Elevation is 3100 to 4800 feet. The climate is semiarid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 20 to 35 inches. Snowfall is 48 to 60 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 48 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 26 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 67 degrees F. Frost-free season is 80 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Chirpchatter, Scarface and Winnibulli soils. Chirpchatter soils are on plateaus and hills, are fine-loamy and have a 10 to 16 inches thick mollic epipedon. Scarface soils are on hills, are fine-loamy and have ochric epipedon. Winnibulli soils are on mounds, are fine-loamy, have a 10 to 15 inches thick mollic epipedon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; ponded to slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. The drainage of this soil has been altered due to recent down cutting. The soils are subject to occasional flooding for brief periods January to March. A water table occurs at a depth of 12 to 24 inches from January through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing and some small areas are used for grass hay. The natural vegetation is rushes, sedges, and perennial grasses. Soils are cropped to alfalfa or grass hay.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are not extensive, about 2200 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Shasta County, Intermountain Soil Survey Area, California 1994. Source of name is Nosoni Mtn.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this profile include:
A. Mollic epipedon- 0 to 57 inches (A, BA, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3) ranges from 30 to 60 inches thick.
1. Organic matter ranges from 2 to 4 percent.
2. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 60 to 75 percent.
B. Argillic horizon- 8 to 80 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4) ranges from 53 inches or more thick.
1. Organic matter by Walkley-Black ranges from 0.3 to 2 percent, decreasing with depth.
2. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 60 to 75 percent.
3. The textural control section is from 8 to 28 inches.
4. Clay content in the control section ranges from 27 to 30 percent.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.