LOCATION OLDALE CA

Established Series
Rev: CAH/PBF/ET
12/2015

OLDALE SERIES

The Oldale series consists of very deep, well-drained soils that formed in eolian material over alluvium from granitoid and/or gneissic rocks. Oldale soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 millimeters (4 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 21.5 degrees C (71 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Oldale gravel,on a linear 2 percent slope under desert pavement at an elevation of 606 meters (1,989 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

C -- 0 to 4 centimeters (0 to 1.5 inches); gravel; 65 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 centimeters thick)

A1 -- 4 to 7 centimeters (1.5 to 3 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin platy structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium vesicular pores; 20 percent fine gravel, 20 percent medium and coarse gravel and 7 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.

A2 -- 7 to 16 centimeters (3 to 6.5 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly silt loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few fine roots; common fine vesicular pores; 8 percent fine gravel, 7 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 3 to 13 centimeters).

2Bt1 -- 16 to 38 centimeters (6.5 to 15 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine tubular pores; 15 percent faint, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on ped faces; 30 percent fine gravel, 25 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear wavy boundary.

2Bt2 -- 38 to 68 centimeters (15 to 27 inches); reddish brown (5YR 4/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent faint, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on ped faces; 30 percent fine gravel, 20 percent medium and coarse gravel and 10 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8); abrupt, wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 25 to 55 centimeters).

2C -- 68 to 154 centimeters (27 to 61.5 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; very few very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent fine gravel, 15 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 5.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; about 57 meters (190 feet) west and 217 meters (710 feet) north of the SE corner of section 30, T. 3 S., R. 13 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 33 degrees, 52 minutes and 16 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 39 minutes and 7 seconds west longitude; USGS San Bernardino Wash 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0624669e 3749186n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

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

Soil temperature: 22 to 25 degrees C (72 to 77 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 80 to 95 percent; with 65 to 85 percent gravel, 10 to
25 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.

Control section
Clay content: averages 12 to 18 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent, dominantly gravel.
Depth to the upper boundary of an argillic horizon from the top of the A
horizon: 3 to 15 centimeters.

C horizon
80 to 98 percent rock fragments; with 65 to 85 percent gravel, 10 to 25
percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.

A horizons
Value: 6 or 7, dry.
Chroma: 3 or 4, and dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam, silt loam or loam.
Clay content: 15 to 20 percent.
Rock fragments: 45 to 70 percent in the upper part with 40 to 55 percent
gravel and 0 to 15 percent cobbles and 5 to 50 percent in the lower
part with 5 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
Effervescence: strongly or violently effervescent.
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline.
Other features: some pedons are characterized by a significant quantity of vesicular pores throughout these horizons.

2Bt horizon
Hue: 5YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, and 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: ranges from 10 to 25 percent; typically 16 to 25 percent in
the upper part and 10 to 18 percent in the lower part.
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent; with 30 to 55 percent gravel and 1 to 25
percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline in the upper part and
slightly acidic to neutral in the lower part.

2C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 to 6, dry.
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry.
Texture of the fine earth: sand or loamy sand.
Clay content: 2 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, 30 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 15
percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent or very slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Clegorpass (CA) and Rockhound (CA) series. Clegorpass soils have gypsum in the surface layer and the argillic horizon. In addition, Clegorpass soils typically have secondary carbonates and silica expressed as coats or films on rock fragments or as discontinuous, weakly to moderately cemented banding within the matrix in horizons below the argillic horizon. Rockhound soils do not receive appreciable summer precipitation, are generally dry throughout the moisture control section for most of the year and have a mean annual soil temperature (MAST) greater than 25 degrees C (77 degrees F).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Oldale soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. These soils formed in eolian material over alluvium from granitoid and or gneissic rocks. Elevations are 200 to 800 meters (655 to 2,625 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters (3 to 5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 20 to 23 degrees C (68 to 73.5 degrees F). The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Carrizo, Goldenbell and Missionsweet soils. Carrizo soils are in washes and on alluvial fans, do not have any diagnostic horizons and have sandy-skeletal particle-size control sections. Goldenbell and Missionsweet soils are on similar landforms and have a duripan.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well-drained; low runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Oldale soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly sparse creosote bush and burrobush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County, California; Soil Survey of Joshua Tree National Park, California, 2012. The name is from a feature in the soil survey area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

C horizon - from a depth of 0 to 4 centimeters.
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 4 to 16 centimeters (A horizons).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 16 to 68 centimeters (2Bt horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 16 to 66 centimeters (2Bt1
horizon and part of the 2Bt2 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 794-DD-6.

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.