LOCATION PARCHED                 CA

Tentative Series
IRD: EEM/SMR/LJL/CAH/ET
12/2015

PARCHED SERIES

The Parched series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from andesite. Parched soils are on side slopes of hills. Slopes range from 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 200 millimeters (8 inches) and the mean annual temperature is about 15 degrees C (59 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Parched gravelly loam, on a simple, linear 25 percent slope under desert shrubs at an elevation of 1476 meters (4840 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 10 percent fine gravel, 50 percent medium and coarse gravel and 10 percent cobbles.

A -- 0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/3) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine vesicular and common fine and medium irregular pores; 5 percent fine gravel, 13 percent medium and coarse gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 25 centimeters, 1 to 10 inches thick)

Bt -- 8 to 41 centimeters (3 to 16 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine irregular and few medium tubular pores; 15 percent distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; 7 percent fine gravel, 18 percent medium and coarse gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary.

Btk1 -- 41 to 66 centimeters (16 to 26 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common fine tubular and common very fine and fine irregular pores; 25 percent distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate films on bottom of rock fragments, 5 percent distinct white (10YR 8/1)calcium carbonate films on surfaces along pores and 3 percent distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate films on faces of peds; 5 percent fine gravel, 20 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary.

Btk2 -- 66 to 101 centimeters (26 to 40 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots; common very fine tubular and common fine and few medium irregular pores; 15 percent distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate films on bottom of rock fragments and 5 percent distinct white(10YR 8/1)calcium carbonate films on surfaces along pores; 10 percent fine gravel, 25 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).

Btk3 -- 101 to 150 centimeters (40 to 60 inches); light brown(7.5YR 6/3) very gravelly clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine dendritic tubular pores; 55 percent distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; 15 percent distinct very pale brown (10YR 8/2) calcium carbonate films on the bottom of rock fragments and 5 percent distinct white (10YR 8/1) calcium carbonate films on surfaces along pores; 5 percent fine gravel, 30 percent medium and coarse gravel and 5 percent cobbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (8.4). (Combined thickness of the Bt and Btk horizons is 125 to 147 centimeters, 49 to 59 inches)

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 19 kilometers (12 miles) south of Nipton, California, in the southern extent of the New York Mountain Range; approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) northeast of the intersection of Ivanpah and Hart Mine Roads; 430 meters (1411 feet) west and 580 meters (1903 feet) south of the northeast corner of section 14, T. 14 N., R. 16 E., San Bernardino Base Meridian; 35 degrees, 17 minutes, 48.7 seconds north latitude, and 115 degrees, 13 minutes, 31.7 seconds west longitude; USGS Castle Peaks, CA 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0661350e 3907392n (DATUM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some part from December to March and intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during July to September following summer convection storms. These soils have an aridic bordering on ustic soils moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 15 to 19 degrees C. (59 to 66 degrees F.)

Surface rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, with 32 to 60 percent gravel and 7 to 25 percent cobbles.

Depth to argillic horizon: 3 to 25 centimeters (1 to 10 inches).

Control section -
Rock fragments: averages 10 to 35 percent gravel.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.25 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 6 to 25 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent gravel, with 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
Organic matter: 0.25 to 0.75 percent.

Bt and/or Btk horizons(s)
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y.
Value: 3 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 or moist.
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy clay loam, loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 35 percent gravel, with 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly acid to strongly alkaline.
Note: some pedons have greater than 35 percent rock fragments below the particle-size control section.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Baboquivari (AZ), Canez (NM), Courtland (AZ), Triomas (TX) and Walkon (NM) series. Baboquivari soils formed in alluvium and are noneffervescent throughout. Canez soils formed in alluvium and receive more than half of the precipitation between late May and early September. Courtland soils formed in alluvium, are deeper than 25 centimeters to the top of the argillic horizon and have color hues of 2.5YR or 5YR throughout the argillic horizon. Triomas soils formed in eolian materials and have hues of 5YR or redder within the argillic horizon. Walkon soils have a lithic contact between 50 and 100 centimeters (20 and 40 inches).

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Parched soils are on side slopes of hills. Slopes range from 15 to 50 percent. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum weathered from andesite. Elevations are 1345 to 1785 meters (4412 to 5855 feet). The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and warm, intermittently moist summers. Precipitation is greatest in the winter with a lesser secondary peak in the summer, typical of the Mojave Desert transitional to the Sonoran Desert. The mean annual precipitation is 175 to 225 millimeters (7 to 9 inches). The mean annual air temperature is 13 to 17 degrees C (55 to 63 degrees F). The frost-free season is 210 to 270 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Willowspring (T), Lecyr (T) and Ustidur soils. Willowspring soils occur on adjacent side slopes of hills and have a lithic contact at 10 to 36 centimeters (4 to 14 inches). Lecyr and Ustidur soils occur on nearby fan remnants and ballenas. Lecyr have a petrocalcic horizon at 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches). Ustidur soils have a duripan at 10 to 36 centimeters (4 to 14 inches).

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Parched soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly big galleta, black grama, Joshua tree and banana yucca.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. The series is of small extent.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California; Soil Survey of the Mojave National Preserve Area, California, 2011. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches) (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 8 to 150 centimeters (3 to 60 inches) (Bt, Btk1, Btk2 and Btk3 horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 8 to 58 centimeters (3 to 23 inches) (Bt and part of the Btk1 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 11CA795109.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 10/2012. ET

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.