LOCATION PALLS CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Mollic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Palls stony sandy loam - on a southwest facing hillside of about 9 percent slope under soft chess and wild oats at 220 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on September 26, 1980, the soil was dry throughout.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) stony sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 2 percent boulders, 3 percent stones, 2 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 5.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 8 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) stony sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 2 percent boulders, 3 percent stones, 2 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 21 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; 2 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; common thin clay films in pores; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)
Bt2--21 to 29 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular pores; 2 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; many thin clay films on peds and in pores; neutral (pH 7.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
Bt3--29 to 31 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular pores, 2 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; common moderately thick clay films on peds and in pores; neutral (pH 7/2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
R--31 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) hard andesitic lahar bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Sutter County, California; Sutter Buttes area, approximately 0.4 mile north of Pass Road on West Butte Road, then northeast 0.5 mile on gas well road and then 500 feet west from road; 900 feet south and 2,050 feet east of the northwest corner of section 32, T. 16 N., R. 1 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 62 degrees to 64 degrees F. The soil temperature is above 47 degrees F. the entire year. The 8 to 25 inch soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from April 15 to October 31 and is moist in some or all parts from November 1 to April 15. The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is 30 degrees to 33 degrees F. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent.
The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/2, 6/3, 5/2 or 5/3 and moist color of 3/2 or 3/3. Boulders range from 0 to 5 percent, stones or cobbles from 5 to 15 percent, and gravel from 10 to 25 percent. Organic matter content is more than 1 percent in the upper 4 inches.
The Bt horizon has dry color of 10YR 6/2, 6/3 or 5/4 and moist color of 4/2, 4/3, 3/2, 3/3 or 3/4. Clay content ranges from 10 to 27 percent with a weighted average clay content of 10 to 18 percent and an increase (absolute) of 3 to 8 percent over the A horizon. Stones range from 0 to 10 percent, cobbles from 5 to 10 percent and gravel from 10 to 25 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ahwahnee, Oakdale, and Pachappa series and the Stohlman and Stonyford series in another family. Ahwahnee soils have a paralithic contact at 24 to 40 inches. Oakdale and Pachappa soils lack a lithic contact within 40 inches. Stohlman and Stonyford soils are less than 20 inches deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Palls soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes are 9 to 60 percent. The soils formed in residual material weathered from andesite or andesitic (mudflow). Elevations are 75 to 1,500 feet. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation varies from 16 to 19 inches. Mean January temperature is 45 degrees F.; mean July temperature is 77 degrees F., and mean annual temperature is 58 degrees to 62 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 250 to 270 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Stohlman soils and the Ocraig soils. Ocraig soils are less than 10 inches deep, lack argillic horizons, and are on mountains above Palls soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium to very rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for range and characteristic vegetation is wild oats, soft chess, filaree and scattered blue oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sutter Buttes area of the Sacramento Valley. Soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sutter County, California 1983. Series name is coined.
REMARKS: Lab sampled as 5 82 CA-101-010. Lab No. 83 p 289.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 2/84.