LOCATION ORANGEVALE         CA
Established Series
Rev. WRR-AJT-WBS-CEJ-ET
02/2003

ORANGEVALE SERIES


The Orangevale series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in coarse textured alluvium derived from dominantly granitic rock sources. Orangevale soils are on high outwash terrace remnants and dissected high outwash terraces and on hills. Slopes are 2 to 25 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 22 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 61 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, thermic Ultic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Orangevale coarse sandy loam - on a 3 percent convex north-facing slope in a cultivated irrigated orchard at an elevation of 250 feet. When described September 28, 1982, the soil was moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).

Ap1--0 to 8 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium, coarse and common fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)

Ap2--8 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)

A/B--15 to 20 inches; mixed 75 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist and 25 percent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

Bt1--20 to 29 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; no roots, few fine tubular and common fine interstitial pores; many thin clay films bridging mineral grains and few thin clay films lining pores; neutral; (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)

Bt2--29 to 39 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few fine tubular pores; many thin and few moderately thick clay films bridging mineral grains, few thin clay films lining pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 12 inches thick)

Bt3--39 to 48 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine tubular pores; continuous thin clay films bridging mineral grains, few thin clay films lining pores; few moderately thick clay films in seams; neutral (pH 7.0); gradual wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

Bt4--48 to 57 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine tubular and few fine interstitial pores; continuous thin clay films bridging mineral grains, few thin clay films lining pores, few moderately thick clay films in seams; neutral (pH 7.0): clear wavy boundary. (8 to 20 inches thick)

Bt5--57 to 72 inches; variegated yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; continuous thin and few thick clay films bridging mineral grains, common moderately thick and few thick clay films in seams; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 15 inches thick)

Bt6--72 to 80 inches; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) coarse sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine interstitial pores; many thin clay films bridging mineral grains, few moderately thick clay films in seams; neutral (pH 7.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Sacramento County, California; about 2.2 miles west of the city of Folsom; 700 feet north on Filbert Road from the intersection of Greenback Lane and Filbert Road and 80 feet west of Filbert Road in an unsectionized area of T.10 N., R.7 E.; Latitude N 38 degrees 40' 50", Longitude W 121 degrees 13' 00".

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is 50 to more than 80 inches. Mean annual soil temperature is 64 to 67 degrees F at 20 inches and remains above 47 degrees F throughout the year. The soil is dry between 13 and 36 inches in most years from June 1 to October 15, moist in all parts from December 1 to May 1 and moist in some part the rest of the year. Weighted average clay content of the textural control section is 18 to 27 percent. Some part of the upper 30 inches of the argillic horizon has 60 to 75 percent base saturation. The amount of coarse plus very coarse sand is 20 to 35 percent throughout the profile.

The A horizon is 10YR 5/4, 5/3, 5/2, 4/3; or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/4, 3/3, 3/2; or 7.5YR 3/4. Clay content is 8 to 16 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral but can be moderately acid where heavily fertilized. Organic matter content is 1 to 2 percent in the upper 4 to 9 inches, and is less than 1 percent below this depth. An A/B horizon caused by plowing is lacking in some profiles.

The Bt horizon is 7.5YR 6/4, 5/6, 5/4, 4/6, 5YR 5/6, 5/4 or 4/6. Moist color is 7.5YR 4/6, 4/4, 3/4, 5YR 4/6 or 3/4. A variegated color of 10YR 4/6 dry and 10YR 3/4 moist is in the lower part of some pedons. Texture is coarse sandy loam or sandy clay loam with 15 to 30 percent clay in the upper part and 15 to 20 percent clay in the lower part. The clay percentage decreases by 20 to 35 percent from the maximum within a depth of 60 inches. Mineralogy is mixed but dominantly kaolinitic. Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.

In some pedons a C horizon occurs below 50 inches. Color, texture, and reaction are similar to the lower part of the Bt horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Auberry, Bearwallow, Churn, Coombs, Sierra, Willits and Wisheylu series and Montpellier soils in another family. Auberry soils have a paralithic contact below 40 inches and solum thickness of less than 40 inches. Bearwallow soils have a lithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Churn and Willits soils have less than 20 percent coarse and very coarse sand. Coombs series has 27 to 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon. Sierra soils have a soil temperature of less than 47 degrees F in winter months and weighted average clay content of 27 to 35 percent in the family control section. Wisheylu soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches. Montpellier soils have less than 1 percent organic matter in the upper four inches of the A horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Orangevale soils are on high outwash terrace remnants, dissected high outwash terraces and on hills at elevations of 100-290 feet. Slopes are 2 to 25 percent. These soils formed in coarse textured alluvium derived dominantly from granitic rock sources. The climate is characterized by having hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation of 19 to 24 inches. The mean annual temperature is about 60 to 62 degrees F, mean January temperature is 45 degrees F and mean July temperature is 78 degrees F. Frost-free season is 230 to 290 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Andregg, Fiddyment and Red Bluff soils. Andregg soils have a paralithic contact at 20 to 40 inches, Fiddyment soils have a duripan at 20 to 40 inches and Red Bluff soils are fine.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for urban development and irrigated orchards. Vegetation in areas not developed or cultivated is blue oak with lesser amounts of white oak and interior live oak and an understory of annual grasses and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sacramento Valley of California. The series is not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sacramento County, California, 1987.

REMARKS:

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to 20 inches. (Ap1, Ap2, A/B horizons); organic carbon is .21 percent at 8 inches.

Argillic horizon - the zone from 20 to 80 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, Bt5, Bt6)

Haploxeralfs - clay content of the argillic horizon decreases by 33 percent of the maximum at a depth of 57 inches.

Ultic subgroup - some subhorizon of the upper 30 inches of the argillic horizon has base saturation of 60 to 75 percent.

The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET

ADDITIONAL DATA: This pedon sampled for complete characterization by Lincoln, Nebraska NSSL in 1982. Pedon number is S82 CA-067-1-1 through 10.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.