LOCATION PILLIKEN CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Humic Dystroxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Pilliken coarse sandy loam - on a southwest facing smooth convex slope fo 42 percent under a vegetative cover of white fir, Jeffrey pine, incense-cedar, and California black oak at an elevation of 4,400 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on October 26, 1979, the soil was wet above 25 inches and dry below).
01--1 1/2 inches to 0; decomposing conifer needles.
A1--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary.
A2--8 to 16 inches; brown and yellowish brown (10YR 5/3, 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and medium roots; many fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.7); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 9 to 19 inches).
AC--16 to 25 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium granular and subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine, common medium and coaarse roots; many fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (9 to 33 inches thick)
C--25 to 58 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots; few fine interstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); diffuse smooth boundary. (9 to 33 inches thick)
Cr--58 inches; highly weathered granodiorite.
TYPE LOCATION: El Dorado County, California; Eldorado National Forest; Placerville Ranger District. On the north side of Highway 50, 1.4 miles east of the Silver Fork Road junction (11N40); SW 1/4 SE 1/4, section 23, T.11 N., R.15 E., MDB&M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. Mean annual soil temperature at 20 inches varies from 47 to 59 degrees F. The soil moisture control section is moist in all parts from late October through May or early June and dry the rest of the year. Rock fragments occupy 5 to 25 percent of the soil. The Umbric epipedon is 7 to 19 inches thick; base saturation is 15 to 40 percent.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3 or 5/4; 7.5YR 4/2 and moist color of 10YR 2/1, 2/2, 3/2, 3/3; or 7.5YR 3/2. It is sandy loam or coarse sandy loam. This horizon is neutral or medium acid.
The AC horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 6/3, 6/4 or 7/4 and moist color of 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 5/3 or 5/4. It is coarse sandy loam or sandy loam. This horizon is neutral through medium acid.
The C horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 6/6, 7/2, 7/3 or 7/4 and moist color of 10YR 4/3, 3/4, 4/4, 4/6, 5/4, 5/6 or 6/4. It typically is coarse sandy loam, but the range includes sandy loam and loamy coarse sand and may be gravelly. This horizon is slightly acid through strongly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ledford, Shaver and Zayante series in other families. Ledford are frigid. Shaver soils have an Umbric epipedon more than 20 inches thick. Zayante has a sandy control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pilliken soils are on mountains. Slopes are 5 to 75 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from granitic rock. Elevations are 3,600 to 5,800 feet. The climate is subhumid with warm, dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 45 to 60 inches, some of which occurs as snow. Mean January temperature is 34 degrees F; mean July temperature is 68 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 42 to 52 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 90 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Ledford and Shaver soils and the Chaix, Holland and Musick soils. Chaix has an ochric epipedon and is 20 to 40 inches deep. Holland and Musick have argillic horizons and are greater than 60 inches deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for timber production, wildlife habitat and watershed. Native vegetation is white fir, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, sugar pine, Jeffrey pie, Douglas-fir, California black oak, bear clover, deerbrush, chinquapin and brackenfern.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The middle mountain area of the Sierra Nevada Range of California. The soils of this series are moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: El Dorado County (Eldorado National Forest), California 1985.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon S90CA-109-113