LOCATION REDSWALE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Typic Durixeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Redswale cobbly loam, on a north facing 1 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 277 feet, (84 m). When described on 3/26/97 the soil was dry from 0 to 1 inch, (0 to 2.54 cm) and slightly moist from 1 to 7 inches, (2.54 to 18 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
A--0 to 1 inches, (0 to 2.54 cm); reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) cobbly loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; 19 percent clay; weak fine and medium platy structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine vesicular and tubular pores; noneffervescent; 10 percent gravel and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches, (2.54 to 8 cm) thick)
Bt--1 to 7 inches, (2.54 to 18 cm); yellowish red (5YR 5/6) very cobbly loam, dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine vesicular and tubular pores; many distinct continuous clay films on rock fragments and on faces of peds; common fine irregular very dark gray (N 3/0) soft iron-manganese masses between peds; noneffervescent; 15 percent gravel and 25 percent cobbles; neutral, pH 6.7 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 9 inches, (5 to 23 cm) thick)
Bqm--7 inches, (18 cm); indurated duripan; 1/16 inch (2 mm) manganese capping.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 0.5 miles north of Rock Creek Road, and 2.3 miles east of Meridian Road, approximately 2700 feet north and 2000 feet east of the southwest corner of Section 16, Township 23 N., Range 1 E., 39 degrees, 50 minutes, 53.04 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 52 minutes, 26.5 seconds West longitude, NAD83. U.S.G.S. Quad: Richardson Springs Southeast, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to duripan is 4 to 10 inches, (10 to 25 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 64 degrees F, (17 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about May to about October (about 150 to 180 days). The particle-size control section averages 18 to 25 percent clay and 35 to 60 percent rock fragments, mostly cobbles. Mineralogy is mixed. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the duripan and the surface of the soil from November through March. Redoximorphic features such as iron-manganese masses, iron-manganese concretions and iron masses occur in A and Bt horizons. Layers of manganese surface coats 1/16 to 1/8 inch (2 to 3 mm) thick occur on top of the duripan. Rock fragments on the surface range from 5 to 25 percent gravel, 0 to 40 percent cobbles, and 0 to 5 percent stones. Some pedons have a 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick organic mat on the surface.
The A horizon dry color is 5YR 4/6, 5/6, 6/6, 7.5YR 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 5YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 7.5YR 3/3 or 2.5YR 3/4. Texture is loam, gravelly loam, cobbly loam or very cobbly loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 22 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 20 percent gravel and 0 to 40 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon dry color is 5YR 5/6, 6/4, 7.5YR 4/4, 5/4 or 6/4. Moist color is 5YR 3/3, 4/3, 4/4, 7.5YR 3/3 or 2.5YR 3/4. Texture is gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, cobbly loam or very cobbly loam. Clay content ranges from 18 to 27 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 40 percent gravel and 0 to 35 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Redswale soils are in swales on high fan terraces of the Red Bluff formation and are on strath terraces on Cascade foothills. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in alluvium weathered from predominantly volcanic rocks. Elevation is 200 to 400 feet, (61 to 122 m). Mean annual precipitation is 23 to 28 inches, (584 to 711 mm). The mean annual temperature is 60 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). Frost-free season is 250 to 255 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Redtough and Redsluff soils. Redtough soils are on mounds on high fan terraces and are shallow. Redsluff soils are on low fan terraces and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very high runoff; moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A and Bt horizons and impermeable in the Bqm horizon. Surface water flows through inter-connected swales during periods of intense rainfall events. Water frequently ponds up to 1 inch, (2.5 cm) above the surface for brief duration from November through March. A fluctuating water table can occur between the top of the duripan and the surface of the soil from November through March.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock, grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed, and home site development. Vegetation is ryegrass, soft chess, filaree, goldfields, navarretia, Mediterranean barley, tidytips, brodiaea, pepperweed, wooly marbles, cowbag clover, soap plant, mouse barley, and other plants adapted to vernally wet conditions.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California. MLRA 17 - Sacramento Valley. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name is coined.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 1 inches, (0 to 2.54 cm) (A).
Argillic horizon - zone from 1 to 7 inches, (2.54 to 18 cm) (Bt).
Duripan - at 7 inches, (18 cm).
Particle-size control section - zone from 0 to 7 inches, (0 to 18 cm).
Soil moisture control section - at 7 inches, (18 cm).