LOCATION RICES CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Calcixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Rices clay loam, in an irrigated grass pasture at about 4,100 feet elevation. (When described May 24, 1984, the soil was dry to 9 inches and a water table was at a depth of 24 inches. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak very thin and thin platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime is disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 3 percent; very slightly saline, E.C. is 3 mmhos; SAR is 10; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)
AB--9 to 16 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) and brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist and dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; common fine and few medium roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly effervescent, lime is disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 percent; slightly saline, E.C. is 4 mmhos; SAR is 12; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick).
Bkn--16 to 22 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; common fine distinct brown mottles (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent, lime is disseminated and segregated in common fine and medium soft masses, calcium carbonate equivalent is 30 percent; slightly saline, E.C. is 6 mmhos; SAR is 30; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary.
Bkg1-22 to 31 inches; white (2.5Y 8/2) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; 5 percent dark greenish gray (5BG 4/1) moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent, lime is disseminated and segregated in common fine and medium soft masses, calcium carbonate equivalent is 32 percent; slightly saline, E.C. is 7 mmhos; SAR is 20; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bkg2--31 to 40 inches; white (2.5Y 8/2) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; common fine distinct olive brown mottles (2.5Y 4/4) moist; 5 percent dark greenish gray (5BG 4/1) moist; massive; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent, lime is disseminated and segregated in few 2 to 15 mm irregular concretions; calcium carbonate equivalent is 40 percent; slightly saline, E.C. is 8 mmhos; SAR is 15; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bkg3--40 to 55 inches; white (2.5Y 8/2) loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; many medium and large prominent brown mottles (7.5YR 4/4) moist; common fine prominent yellowish brown mottles (10YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, very friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, lime is disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 38 percent; slightly saline, E.C. is 5 mmhos; SAR is 12; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary.
Bkg4--55 to 65 inches; white (2.5Y 8/2) loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; common fine distinct brown mottles (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent soft gravel size fragments; slightly effervescent, lime is disseminated, calcium carbonate equivalent is 17 percent; slightly saline, E.C. is 4 mmhos; SAR is 10; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); (The combined thickness of the Bk horizons is 40 to 50 inches.)
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; about 1 mile NW of Lake Leavitt, 0.6 mile W of Buffum Lane and about 1900 feet S of HWY 395; about 2,000 feet E and 2,700 feet N of the SW corner of section 17, T.29 N., R.13 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature varies from 50 to 53 degrees F. Thickness of the mollic epipedon ranges from 10 to 19 inches. Organic carbon decreases regularly with depth and is less than 0.6 percent below a depth of 20 inches. Depth to the calcic horizon ranges from 16 to 20 inches. The 10 to 40 inch control section has a weighted average of 25 to 35 percent clay and 6 to 12 percent fine sand or coarser. Texture is clay loam, silty clay loam or loam. These soils are saturated between the depths of 20 and 40 inches from December through June. The soil moisture control section (5 to 13 inches) is dry throughout from June 15th to November 15th (153 days). It is moist in some or all parts the remainder of the year. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F from March 15th to December 1st (261 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F from May 1st to November 15th (198 days).
The A horizon dry color is (10YR 4/2, 5/2 or 5/3). Moist color is (10YR 2/1, 3/2 or 3/3.) Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges from 1 to 3 percent. E.C. ranges from 2 to 4 mmhos. SAR ranges from 5 to 12 percent.
The Bk horizons dry colors are (10YR 7/2, 8/2 or 2.5Y 8/2). Moist colors are (2.5Y 5/4, 6/4 or 10YR 6/4). Calcium carbonate equivalent decreases with depth and ranges from 25 to 40 percent in the upper part and 15 to 25 percent in the lower part. E.C. ranges from 4 to 8 mmhos in the upper part and 2 to 8 mmhos in the lower part. SAR ranges from 5 to 30 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rices soils are on terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in lacustrine sediments and mixed alluvium. Elevation ranges from 4050 to 4150 feet. The climate is semiarid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. The mean annual precipitation varies from 9 to 12 inches including 10 to 20 inches of snow. The mean annual temperature is about 50 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 30 degrees F and the mean July temperature is about 70 degrees F. The average frost-free season is 100 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Humboldt and Springmeyer soils. The Humboldt soils are clayey and are on floodplains. The Springmeyer soils are on upper fans and have argillic horizons and are well drained.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; runoff is slow; moderately slow permeability. A seasonal high water table is between the depths of 20 and 40 inches from December through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rices soils are used for pasture, irrigated grass, hay crops and urban development.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lassen County, California. The soils of this series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Lassen County, California, Susanville Area, Parts of Lassen and Plumas Counties Soil Survey Area, 1988.
Major Diagnostic Horizons:
1. Mollic epipedon - 0 to 16 inches, (A, AB); ranges from 10 to 19 inches.
1.1 Color value is 4 dry and 2 or 3 moist.
1.2 Chroma is 3 or less.
1.3 Organic carbon content is assumed to be 1.4 to 2.9 percent from data of similar pedons (SSIR 24).
1.4 Thickness is more than 1/3 of the depth from the top of the epipedon to secondary carbonates (9 to 19 inches for mollic; 16 to 20 inches for carbonates).
2. Calcic horizon - 16 to 65 inches, (Bkn, Bkg1, Bkg2, Bkg3, Bkg4); ranges from 40 to 50 inches thick.
2.1 Calcium carbonate equivalent ranges form 17 to 39 percent.
2.2 Secondary carbonates occur in common fine and medium soft masses and concretions.
2.4 Soil is calcareous in all parts of 0 to 16 inch part.
3. Control Section - 10 to 40 inches.
3.1 Weighted average content of clay is 25 to 30 percent from field estimate and other pedons (SSIR 24).
3.2 Content of fine sand and coarser is 6 to 12 percent from other pedons (SSIR 24).
3.3 Total sand content assumed to range from 15 to 30 percent (field estimate and other pedons-SSIR 24).
Other Diagnostic Soil Characteristics
1. Aquic Subgroup
1.1 Water table at 24 inches in May and 36 inches in July (Field observation).
1.2 Soil is assumed to be saturated at a depth of 20 to 40 inches from December or January to July (See item 2.2).
2. Soil Temperature
2.1 MAST varies from 50 to 53 degrees F. (assumed from temp. site MS 10).
2.2 The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F from March 15 to December 1. (261 days).
2.3 The soil temperature exceeds 47 degrees F from May 1 to November 15 (198 days).
Other Features
1. Organic carbon content decreases regularly with depth and is less than 0.6 percent below a depth of 20 inches (SSIR 24). Remarks: Lab data requested on modal pedon is organic carbon, PSDA, calcium carbonate equivalent base saturation (NH40Ac & sum).
REMARKS:
Last revised by the state on 2/91.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.