LOCATION RAGGULCH CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Mollic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Raggulch sandy loam, on a terrace escarpment of 23 percent under annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 940 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless therwise stated. When described on April 4, 1994, the soil was moist througout.)
A-- 0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt1-- 4 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films bridgings mineral grains and in pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bt2-- 8 to 16 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Cr--16 to 18 inches; soft, partly weathered sandstone
R-- 18; hard sandstone conglomerate
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; about 500 feet east and 2,500 feet south of the northwestern corner of Sec. 2, T.26S., R.28E., MDB&M, Sand Canyon, California Quadrangle; lat. 35 degrees 41 minutes 49 seconds N and long. 118 degrees 56 minutes 14 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture:moist throughout from December 1 to March
30 (about 120 days) the soil is moist about
110 days when the soil is above 46 degrees.
Soil temperature: 60 to 64 degrees F.
Particle size control section:
Texture: sandy clay loam
Percent clay: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel
Depth to bedrock: 10 to 20 inches
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
A horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 3, 4 or 5; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; 1, 2 or 3 moist.
Texture: sandy loam, sandy clay loam
Organic Matter: 1 to 2 percent
Bt horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 3, 4 or 5; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3; 1,2 or 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: sandy clay loam
Organic Matter: .1 to 1 percent
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Stonyford, Stohlman and Quinto series. Stonyford and Quinto soils have hue of 7.5YR and 5YR in the Bt horizon. Stohlman soils have stony and cobbly texture modifiers.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Raggulch soils are on terrace escarpments and treads with slopes of 5 to 30 percent slope. These soils formed in mixed alluvium weathered mainly from sedimentary rock, conglomerate, and granitic rock. Elevations are 600 to 2,000 feet. The average annual precipitation is about 8 to 12 inches. The mean January temperature is about 49 to 56 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 72 to 80 degrees F., the mean annual temperature is 59 to 63 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 240 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pleito and Chanac series. Pleito and Chanac soils are more than 60 inches deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, and wildlife habitat. The natural vegetation is mostly annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Terraces on the southeastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley in California. The series is of small extent. MLRA is 17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California 1995. Kern County, Northeastern Part and Southeastern Part of Tulare County. The name is taken from Rag Gulch.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone for 0 to 4 inches (A)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 4 to 16 inches (Bt1,
Bt2)