LOCATION PASQUETTI CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquandic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Pasquetti mucky silty clay. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 6 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mucky silty clay, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; strong very fine and fine granular structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 14 inches thick)
A12--6 to 13 inches; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, firm, slightly sticky, plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.1); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A13--13 to 20 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong fine and medium subangular and angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; thin continuous organic coatings on peds; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 10 inches thick)
A14--20 to 29 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine and medium fine subangular and angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky, plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine and fine, common medium tubular pores; many thin clay films and organic stains on faces of peds and lining pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 12 inches thick)
C1g--29 to 43 inches; light gray (10YR 6/1) clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles, common medium distinct dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, moderate fine and medium subangular and angular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, plastic; few fine and medium pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
IIC2--43 to 50 inches; white (10YR 8/1) very fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; common medium prominent brown (7.5YR 5/4) mottles moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine and medium pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1/2 to 2 inches thick)
IIIC3--50 to 60 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) with flecks of white (10YR 8/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Sierra County, California; on the Webber ranch, approximately 1 mile north of Sierraville; about 1,500 feet NE of center sec. 12, T.20N., R.14E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is about 49 to 51 degrees F. Some or all of the A and C horizons have a bulk density in the fine earth fraction of approximately 0.85 g/cc to 0.95 g/cc. The organic matter ranges from 25 percent in the surface horizon and decreases with increasing depth to less than 1 percent within 24 to 36 inches of the surface. The 13- to 40-inch section averages about 25 to 35 percent clay. The soil is slightly acid to moderately alkaline and reaction does not change appreciably with increasing depth. Distinct or prominent mottles are present with depths of 20 to 30 inches. Usually the water table is within 30 inches or less of the surface throughout the year. The A horizon is very dark gray to gray dry and black or very dark brown moist in hue of 10YR or 2.5Y. It is mucky silt loam to mucky silty clay in the upper part and silt loam, silty clay loam and clay loam in the lower part. The IIC horizon consists of distinctly or prominently mottled and stratified alluvium containing layers of volcanic ash. Some layers have thixotropic properties.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Crump, James Canyon, Likely, Ozamis, and Ramelli series. Crump soils have a histic epipedon. James Canyon and Ramelli soils lack ashy layers in the upper 30 inches and have a bulk density greater than 0.95 g/cc in the fine earth fraction. Likely soils are thixotropic. Ozamis soils are not dominated by amorphous materials.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Pasquetti soils are in valley basins at elevations of 4,300 to 5,000 feet. They formed in ashy lake sediments mixed with silts in clays and underlain by stratified alluvium. The climate is cool semiarid. Mean annual precipitation is 10 to 20 inches. Average January temperature is 28 degrees F., average July temperature is 69 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is 48 to 50 degrees freeze-free season is 80 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing James Canyon, Likely and Ramelli soils and the Badenaugh, Pit, Sattley, and Trojan soils. Badenaugh soils have very cobbly and gravelly argillic horizons. Pit soils are clayey. Sattley and Trojan soils have a lithic contact of volcanic bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and very poorly drained; very slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Meadow pasture occasionally cut for hay. The vegetation is sedges, wiregrass, bluegrass, tufted hairgrass, and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sierra County, California, 1973.
REMARKS: The Pasquetti soils were formerly classified as Humic Gley soils.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 6/74.