LOCATION RAELAKES CA

Established Series
JBB/CES/JTW
09/2021

RAELAKES SERIES

The Raelakes series consists of moderately deep, somewhat excessively drained soils formed in slope alluvium and till over residuum weathered from granitic rocks. The Raelakes soils are on structural benches of mountain slopes and cirques of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 650 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 2 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, isotic Vitrixerandic Humicryepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Raelakes cobbly sandy loam on a southeast-facing (125 degree), 24 percent slope at an elevation of 3390 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on August 1, 2015 the soil was dry to 16 cm.)

A--0 to 16 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) cobbly sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; 5 percent clay; weak very fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 2 percent subangular very strongly cemented granite fine gravel, 20 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 1 percent subrounded indurated granite stones; NaF pH 9.5; very strongly acid (pH 4.9); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 30 cm thick)

AB--16 to 38 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely bouldery loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; 3 percent clay; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine, common fine, and few medium roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 20 percent subrounded indurated granite gravel, 22 percent subrounded indurated granite cobbles, 5 percent subrounded indurated granite stones, 20 percent subrounded indurated granite boulders; NaF pH 10.5; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

Bw--38 to 82 cm; brown (10YR 4/3) extremely bouldery loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 1 percent clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine and common fine roots throughout; few very fine irregular pores; 9 percent subangular indurated granite gravel, 15 percent subangular indurated granite cobbles, 5 percent subangular indurated granite stones, 35 percent subangular indurated granite boulders; NaF pH 10.5; strongly acid (pH 5.2); very abrupt smooth boundary. (10 to 45 cm thick)

2R--82 to 92 cm; Indurated granite bedrock, fractured at intervals of 100 to <200 cm; common medium roots top of horizon.

TYPE LOCATION: Tulare County, California, West of Tyndall Creek; USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Mount Brewer, California; WGS84 36.638337 latitude and -118.394710 longitude; UTM zone 11 4055659 meters N 375316 meters E NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 1 to 6 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is more than 6 degrees C. The soils have a cryic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about August to October (about 90 days).

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Umbric epipedon thickness: 25 to 85 cm
Depth to lithic contact: 50 to 100 cm

Organic matter: 1 to 5 percent in the epipedon

Base saturation: less than 50 percent by (ammonium acetate).

Acid-oxalate extractable Al plus 1/2 Fe: 0.4 to 2.0 percent (by weight) in one or more horizons with a total thickness of 18 cm or more within 75 cm of the mineral soil surface.

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent, with 15 to 50 percent gravel, 15 to 35 percent cobbles, 0 to 15 percent stones and 0 to 15 percent boulders.
Clay content: 1 to 6 percent
NaF pH: 10.0 to 11.0

A horizons
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist
Texture: sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 3 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 75 percent
0 to 35 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 25 percent stones
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

Bw horizons (or AB horizons, where present)
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 3 to 5, dry or moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 9 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 75 percent
10 to 50 percent gravel
15 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 35 percent stones
0 to 35 percent boulders
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

C horizons (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, coarse sand
Clay content: 1 to 5 percent
Rock fragments: 35 to 75 percent
15 to 60 percent gravel
0 to 35 percent cobbles
0 to 15 percent stones
0 to 15 percent boulders
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Belsh and Montchief soils. The Belsh soils are greater than 150 cm to a lithic contact. The Montchief soils are 50 to 100 cm to a lithic contact and have ashy textures. Both soils formed in volcanic ash and granitic rocks in west-central Idaho, MLRA 43B.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Raelakes soils are on structural benches of mountain slopes and cirques. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. These soils formed in till and slope alluvium over residuum weathered from granite and granodiorite. Elevation is 2525 to 3925 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 505 to 1430 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 0 to 5 degrees C. The frost free season is 55 to 95 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Canisrocks and Siberian soils. The Canisrocks soils are formed in colluvium on mountain slopes and glacial valley floors. The Siberian soils are formed in till on mountain slopes and glacial valley floors.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained, high to very high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is very low to high.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Vegetation is threadleaf sedge, Parry's rush, Alkali bluegrass, Ross sedge, bastardsage, and mountain pride. Scattered lodgepole and/or foxtail pine may be present in some areas.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. These soils are of limited extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES PROPOSED: Tulare County, California in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Source of name is from the Rae Lakes area of Kings Canyon National Park.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 25 to 82 cm
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Umbric Epipedon 0 to 82 cm
Lithic Contact 82 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2015CA7923063

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.