LOCATION PINKCAN CA

Established Series
Rev: PBF/CAH/ET
12/2015

PINKCAN SERIES

The Pinkcan series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from various igneous rocks and/or gneiss. Pinkcan soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 138 millimeters (5.5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 16.5 degrees C (615 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Duric Petroargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Pinkcan loam, on a north-facing, convex, 2 percent slope under sparse desert shrubs at an elevation of 948 meters (3,110 feet). When described the soils were dry throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 20 percent fine gravel, 50 percent medium and coarse gravel, and 5 percent cobbles.

A -- 0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inch); pink (7.5YR 7/4) loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; very few fine roots; common very fine and fine, few medium and very few coarse vesicular pores; 8 percent fine gravel, 2 percent medium and coarse gravel and 1 percent cobbles; very slightly effervescent; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 6 centimeters thick)

Bt1 -- 3 to 27 centimeters (1 to 11 inches); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few medium roots; 10 percent faint, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) clay films on ped faces; 8 percent fine gravel and 2 percent medium and coarse gravel; very slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2 -- 27 to 49 centimeters (11 to 19 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; very few medium roots; 5 percent distinct, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films on ped faces; 8 percent fine gravel and 2 percent medium and coarse gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary.

Btk -- 49 to 63 centimeters (19 to 25 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; 3 percent faint, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films on ped faces; 1 percent, faint, light gray (10YR 7/2) calcium carbonate coats on the bottom of rock fragments; 4 percent fine gravel and 1 percent medium and coarse gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 40 to 105 centimeters).

BC -- 63 to 72 centimeters (25 to 28 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 9 percent fine gravel, 1 percent medium and coarse gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 10 centimeters thick)

C -- 72 to 83 centimeters (28 to 33 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 18 percent fine gravel, 7 percent medium and coarse gravel and 3 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 15 centimeters thick)

2Bt -- 83 to 120 centimeters (33 to 47 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; 5 percent distinct, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) clay films on ped faces; 10 percent fine gravel and 5 percent medium and coarse gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 30 centimeters thick)

2Bkqm -- 120 to 150 centimeters (47 to 59 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) weakly cemented loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist, duripan with 90 percent cementation; massive; very hard, brittle, slightly sticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent.

TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; approximately 2.5 kilometers north-northwest of the junction of Pintobasin Road and Pinkham Canyon Road; 235 meters (772 feet) south and 270 meters (885 feet) east of the NW corner of section 3, T. 5 S., R. 11 E., San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 33 degrees, 46 minutes and 15.0 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 49 minutes and 53.9 seconds west longitude; USGS Porcupine Wash 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0608188e 3737360n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some parts for short
periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative
between July and September following summer convection storms. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 15 to 22 degrees C (59 to 72 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 75 to 80 percent, with 25 to 64 percent fine gravel, 20 to 50 percent medium and coarse gravel, 0 to 15 percent cobbles, 0 to 5 percent stones and 0 to 2 percent boulders.

Control section -
Rock fragments: averages 10 to 35 percent; with 3 to 40 percent gravel, 0 to
15 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.
Clay content: ranges from 15 to 30 percent, averages from 20 to 30 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Depth to the upper boundary of an argillic horizon: 1 to 6 centimeters (0.5
to 2.5 inches).
Depth to the upper boundary of a duripan: 100 to 150 centimeters (40 to 59
inches).

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 to 7, dry and 3 to 5, moist.
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry and 3 to 6, moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent.
Rock fragments: 1 to 15 percent; with 1 to 15 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to violently effervescent.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

Bt, Btk, or Btkq horizons
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 or 5, dry and 3 to 5, moist.
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam, loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 3 to 50 percent; with 3 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 15
percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent through strongly effervescent.
Reaction: neutral through moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.
Silica: 0 to 5 percent as films on rock fragments.

BC, C and 2Bt horizons (when present)
Value: 3 or 4, moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 8 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 30 percent; with 10 to 30 gravel and 0 to 5 cobbles.

2Bkq horizon (when present)
Value: 4 to 7, dry and 4 to 6, moist.
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry and 4 to 6, moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand or sandy loam.
Clay content: 4 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 45 percent; with 10 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
Effervescence: strongly or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.
Silica: 0 to 15 percent weakly to moderately cemented durinodes and 0 to 8 percent coats on the bottom of rock fragments.

2Bkqm horizon
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sandy or sandy loam.
Clay content: 4 to 12 percent.
Rock fragments: 10 to 45 percent; with 10 to 45 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles.
Cementation: weakly to moderately cemented, 50 to 90 percent continuous cementation.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Pinkcan soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from various igneous rocks and/or gneiss. Elevations range from 735 to 1,230 meters (2,410 to 4,034 feet). The climate is arid, with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 175 millimeters (4 to 7 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is 13 to 20 degrees C (55 to 68 degrees F). The frost-free season is 270 to 320 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crackerjack, Crosgrain, Gocougs, Grinder and Werewolf soils. All of these soils are on similar landforms except for Grinder soils which are on nearby pediments. Crackerjack soils have less than 18 percent clay throughout the particle-size control section, do not have an argillic horizon and are shallow to a weakly-cemented duripan. Crosgrain soils also have less than 18 percent clay in the particle- size control section, do not contain an argillic horizon and are skeletal above a shallow indurated duripan. Gocougs soils are similar but have a duripan beginning above 100 centimeters. Grinder soils do not have a duripan and are shallow to a lithic contact. Werewolf soils have loamy-skeletal particle-size control sections, an argillic horizon that starts below 25 centimeters and no duripan within 150 centimeters.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low or medium runoff; moderately slow saturated hydraulic conductivity above the duripan and low saturated hydraulic conductivity within the duripan.

USE AND VEGETATION: Pinkcan soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly burrobush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County, California, Soil Survey of Joshua Tree National Park, California, 2012. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 3 centimeters (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 3 to 63 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2 and Bt3
horizons).
Duripan - the zone beginning at 120 centimeters (2Bkq horizon).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 3 to 53 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2
and part of the Bt3 horizon).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS Pedon User ID: POWA03.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2012. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.