LOCATION ORECART CA

Established Series
Rev. JWK-HVB-ET-MAV
02/2023

ORECART SERIES

The Orecart series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in formed in mixed alluvium and volcanic ash. Orecart soils are on lake terraces. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8.9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, nonacid, mesic Vitrandic Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Orecart ashy loamy sand, on a 5 percent southwest slope at 62,500 meters elevation under Wyoming big sagebrush, and Indian ricegrass. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. (When described September 28, 1979, the soil was dry to 65 inches).

A--0 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 13 cm thick)

C1--10 to 33 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) ashy loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium and coarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 25 cm thick)

C2--33 to 56 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

C3--56 to 89 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) ashy loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and very fine roots; many fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)

C4--89 to 122 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 38 cm thick)

C5--122 to 147 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

C6--147 to 165 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) ashy sand, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent; neutral (pH 6.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; about 1.25 miles north of poleline road and 60 feet southwest of Bodie Road, 400 feet north and 650 feet west of the SE corner of Sec. 24, T. 3 N., R. 26 E.; latitude 38 degrees 05 minutes 54 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 03 minutes 07 seconds W; USGS Negit Island 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle;; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.0983333 latitude, -119.0519444 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 8.3 to 11.1 degrees C. The soil between a depth of 36 and 107 cm is dry throughout from about April 20 to November 26. It is moist throughout from about February 20 to April 4. Aridic moisture reguime bordering on xeric. The volcanic glass content ranges from 35 to 55 percent throughout the profile.

A horizon
Color is 10YR 5/4, 6/2, 6/3 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/4, 4/2, 4/3 or 4/4. It is single grain, massive or has weak platy structure. It is slightly acid or neutral.

C horizon
Color is 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, 6/3 or 7/2; 2.5Y 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/4, 4/3, 4/4 or 5/3; 2.5Y 4/4. Textures are coarse sand, sand, fine sand, loamy coarse sand, or loamy sand. It is single grained or massive. Reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline. Stratified substratum phases are recognized with textures of stratified coarse sand and gravelly loamy sand.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Brantel, Buscones and Deepwell soils. Buscones soils are moderately deep over bedrock. Brantel and Deepwell soils contain over 60 percent volcanic ash and Brantel soils also contain glassy gravel throughout.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Orecart soils are on lake terraces at elevations of 1,955 to 2,170 meters. Slopes are 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in mixed alluvium influenced volcanic ash. Mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm. Mean annual temperature is 7.2 to 10.0 degrees C. The frost-free season is 100 to 135 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dechambeau and Waford soils, and the competing Brantel soils. Dechambeau soils have a coarse-loamy control section. Waford soils are calcareous throughout and have a cemented Bqk horizon. Brantel soils contain over 60 percent volcanic ash. These soils are on lake terraces and fan terraces.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very slow runoff; rapid over very rapid permeability; very high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for livestock grazing, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, and Douglas rabbitbrush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Enclosed basins in east central California. These soils are of small extent in MLRA 26.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Mono County, California, Benton-Owens Valley Soil Survey Area, 1990

REMARKS: Orecart (previously Cooney) soils were reclassified after changes in Soil Taxonomy.

Diagnostic horizons and other soil properties recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon- The zone from the surface to 18 cm. (A and part of the C1 horizons)
2. Ashy minerology
2.1 Based on Lincoln lab glass count the soil has 35 to 55 percent volcanic glass and glassy aggregates.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.