LOCATION REWARD CA
Established Series
Rev. DV/KKC/GWH/TDC
01/2023
REWARD SERIES
The Reward series consists of deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from calcareous shale or sandstone. Reward soils are on uplands and have slopes of 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 9 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 61 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Reward shaly loam, rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A11--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) shaly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; 15 percent shale; strongly effervesecent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
A12--10 to 24 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) shaly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent shale; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)
C1--24 to 39 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) shaly heavy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; few prominent pockets of light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) heavy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent shale; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; segregated lime occurring as filaments or threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
C2--39 t 60 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) shaly clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 20 percent shale; strongly effervescent with disseminated lime; segregated lime occurs as filaments or threads; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (12 to 25 inches thick)
R--60 to 65 inches; fractured calcareous shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; about 4 miles southeast of McKittrick in the SW1/4 SW1/4 SE1/4 section 35, T.30S., R.21E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact is 40 to 60 inches. Th mean annual soil temperature is 63 degrees F. The soil between depth of 4 and 12 inches is usually moist in some or all parts all the time from about November until April or May (140 to 170 days) and are dry the rest of the year. Organic matter is 1.0 to 2.5 percent to a depth of 20 inches and decreases regularly with increasing depth.
The A horizon has a dry color of 10YR 5/2, 5/3. Moist colors are 10YR 3/2, 3/3. It is loam or shaly loam and is 18 to 25 percent clay and 0 to 30 percent shale.
The C horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 5/2, and 6/2 or 6/3 in the lower part. Moist colors are 10YR 3/2 or 3/3. It is shaly loam or shaly clay loam, has 18 to 35 percent clay content, and 15 to 35 percent shale. Structure is weak coarse subangular blocky or the soil is massive. Few cobble size shale fragments are present in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Agueda,
Anaheim,
Conejo,
Gazos, and
Salinas series. Agueda soils have chroma less than 2. Anaheim soils have a paralithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Salinas soils are noneffervescent to a depth of 22 to 56 inches, less than 15 percent rock fragments, and moist more than 170 days.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Reward soils are on hills and mountains and have slopes of 15 to 50 percent. They formed in material weathered from shale and sandstone. Elevation is 1,200 to 3,800 feet. The climate is subhumid mesothermal, with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 9 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature varies from 59 to 63 degrees F.; the mean January temperature is 44 degrees F.; and the mean July temperature is 81 degrees F. The frost free season is 200 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Gazos soils and the
Aramburu,
Pottinger, and
Temblor soils. Aramburu, Pottinger, and Temblor soils have more than 35 percent rock fragments. Aramburu soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Pottinger soils are loamy, skeletal and have formed in alluvium from sedimentary rocks. Temblor soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 10 to 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for rangeland. The natural vegetation is annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Temblor Range of the eastern Coast Range of Southern California. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County, California, Northwestern Part, 1982.
REMARKS: Reward soils have xeric bordering on aridic moisture regime.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.