LOCATION OLDWOMAN CA

Tentative Series
CAH/ET
12/2015

OLDWOMAN SERIES

The Oldwoman series consists of very deep, well-drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium. The Oldwoman soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 millimeters and the mean annual air temperature is about 19 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Oldwoman gravelly sandy loam, on a linear, 2 percent slope at an elevation of 973 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 90 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles.

A-- 0 to 4 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine, common fine and medium vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; 5 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 20 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 5 centimeters thick)

Btkq-- 4 to 30 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; medium moderate subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular and common fine vesicular pores; 1 percent fine, distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) irregular, very weakly cemented durinodes; 40 percent distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on ped faces; 1 percent fine, distinct, white (10YR 8/1) cylindrical, calcium carbonate masses in the matrix and on ped faces and 25 percent fine, light gray (10YR 7/2) calcium carbonate films on the bottom of rock fragments; strongly effervescent; 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 30 percent gravel and 5 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (26 to 52 centimeters thick)

Bkq1-- 30 to 67 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly sandy loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 3 percent fine, prominent, white (10YR 8/1) cylindrical, weakly cemented durinodes; 35 percent distinct, light gray (10YR 7/2) calcium carbonate films on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 50 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); gradual wavy boundary.

Bkq2-- 67 to 98 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) very gravelly sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 2 percent coarse, distinct, white (10YR 8/1), platy silica masses on the bottom of rock fragments; 10 percent distinct, white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate films on rock fragments; violently effervescent; 7 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 40 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bkq3-- 98 to 150 centimeters; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; 3 percent fine, prominent, white (10YR 8/1) cylindrical non-cemented calcium carbonate masses throughout the matrix and 10 percent distinct white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate films on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; less than 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6) (Combined thickness of Bkq horizons is greater than 50 centimeters).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 5 kilometers southwest of the open pit for Bessemer Mine along Bessemer Mine Rd.; 900 meters west and 100 meters south of NE corner of section 7, T. 5 N., R. 4 E.; 34 degrees, 32 minutes and 21.5 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 36 minutes and 12.5 seconds west longitude; USGS Iron Ridge 7.5 minute quadrangle; UTM 11S 536385e 3822027n (DTM: NAD-83).

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 October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 19 to 22 degrees C.

Depth to lower boundary of argillic: 25 to 60 centimeters

Depth to top of calcic: 25 to 50 centimeters

Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent

Surface rock fragments: ranges from 80 to 95 percent; with 65 to 90 percent gravel and 5 to 15 percent cobbles.

Control section -
Rock fragments: 35 to 55 percent, dominantly gravel
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalence: 1 to 10 percent

A horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 4 or 6 moist
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 8 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 20 to 45 percent, dominantly gravel
Effervescence: very slightly to violently effervescent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly to moderately alkaline

Btkq ,Bt or Btk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: ranges from 10 to 55 percent and averages greater than 35 percent in thickest part, dominantly gravel
Effervescence: noneffervescent or slightly effervescent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 10 percent
Durinodes: 0 to 5 percent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

Bkq or Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y, moist or dry
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 to 8, dry or moist
Texture: sand, loamy sand, sandy loam

Clay content: 2 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 40 to 80 percent, dominantly gravel
Effervescence: strongly or violently effervescent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 15 percent
Durinodes: 0 to 10 percent
Note: some pedons have 2 to 30 percent silica pendants 2 to 5 mm thick on rock fragments

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bitter Spring (NV) series. Bitter Spring soils are 25 centimeters or shallower to top of calcic horizon, are redder throughout most of the profile and have more than 18 percent clay in the upper part of the argillic.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Oldwoman soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 8 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium. Elevations range from 914 to 1128 meters. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters; mean annual air temperature is 17 to 20 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Typic Haplargids (T), Typic Torriorthents (T), Daisy (T), Gravesumit and Noagua (T) soils. Typic Haplargids are found on fan aprons over fan remnants and have a fine-loamy particle size control section. Typic Torriorthents are found in the channels between remnants, are sandy throughout the particle size control section and do not have an argillic horizon or calcic horizon. Daisy and Gravesumit soils are on fan aprons and alluvial fans over fan remnants. Daisy soils have greater than 50 cm of sand overlying the argillic horizon and Gravesumit soils are not skeletal. Noagua soils are on alluvial fans over fan remnants, have a duripan horizon and are not skeletal.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low to low runoff; moderate permeability in the upper part of the profile and rapid in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Oldwoman soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly sparse coverage of creosotebush and white bursage.

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

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

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California, Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Open Area Soil Survey, 2002. The name is for Old Woman Spring south of the soil survey area.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:

1. Ochric epipedon: 0 to 4 centimeters (A horizon)
2. Argillic horizon: 4 to 30 centimeters (Btkq horizon)
3. Calcic horizon: 30 to 67 centimeters (Bkq and Bk horizons)
4. Particle size control section: 4 to 30 centimeters (Btkq horizon)

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 2/2006. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.