LOCATION ROCKSTRIPE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Lithic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Rockstripe very gravelly loam, on a west facing 18 percent slope under a cover of soft chess, hairy pink, wild oat, California brome and scattered yellow starthistle, yerba santa, buckbrush, scrub oak, foothill pine and manzanita at an elevation of 1280 feet, (390 m). When described on 11/02/1998 the soil was slightly moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) very gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; 21 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky parting to moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine, fine and medium tubular and irregular and common coarse tubular pores; 5 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 25 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary. (1 to 4 inches, (3 to 10 cm) thick)
Bt1--2 to 6 inches, (5 to 15 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) very cobbly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; 23 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 30 percent discontinuous faint clay films; 20 percent cobbles and 20 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.4 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--6 to 9 inches, (15 to 24 cm); reddish brown (5YR 5/4) cobbly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; 25 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; 50 percent discontinuous distinct clay films; 15 percent cobbles and 15 percent gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.4 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 1 to 9 inches, (3 to 23 cm) thick).
R--9 inches, (24 cm); indurated mudflow breccia bedrock.
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 0.2 miles west southwest of the intersection of Highway 32 and Santos Road, approximately 600 feet south and 2600 feet west of the northeast corner of Section 2, Township 22 N., Range 2 E., 39 degrees, 47 minutes, 51 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 43 minutes, 21 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S. Quad: Paradise West, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to lithic bedrock is 2 to 10 inches, (5 to 25 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 55 to 59 degrees F, (13 to 15 degrees C). The particle-size control section averages 17 to 27 percent clay and 35 to 75 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel and cobbles. Mineralogy is mixed. Rock fragments on the surface range from 5 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles, 0 to 20 percent stones, and 0 to 10 percent boulders.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR 6/2, 6/3, 6/4 or 5YR 6/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2, 3/4, 4/3 or 5YR 4/3. Texture is very gravelly loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 25 percent. Rock fragments range from 25 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to 10 percent cobbles, 0 to 10 percent stones and 0 to 10 percent boulders. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 5/4, 6/3, 6/4, 7/3 or 5YR 5/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/4, 4/2, 4/3 or 5YR 4/3. Texture is gravelly loam, very gravelly loam, cobbly loam, very cobbly loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam or extremely stony sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 17 to 27 percent. Rock fragments range from 15 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 30 percent cobbles, 0 to 30 percent stones, and 0 to 10 percent boulders. Reaction is slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Etsel series. Etsel soils lack a cambic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rockstripe soils are on ridge tops and canyon side slopes on Cascade foothills. Slopes range from 2 to 100 percent. These soils formed in residuum weathered from volcanic mudflow breccia. Elevation is 500 to 2600 feet, (152 to 792 m). Mean annual precipitation is 30 to 62 inches, (762 to 1575 mm). The mean annual temperature is 56 to 61 degrees F, (13 to 16 degrees C). Frost free season is 200 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Paradiso, Schott, Chinacamp and Slideland soils. Paradiso and Schott soils are on ridge tops at higher elevations and are very deep and deep respectively. Chinacamp and Slideland soils are on lower positions on canyon side slopes and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained; very high runoff; moderate to moderately rapid saturated hydraulic conductivity.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for home site development, wildlife habitat, watershed and some livestock grazing. Vegetation is soft chess, hairy pink, California brome, wild oat, yellow starthistle, hedgehog dogtail, moss, buckbrush, whiteleaf manzanita, California laurel, scrub oak, yerba santa, foothill pine, Pacific poison oak and canyon live oak.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur in the (M261Fa) Tuscan Flows subsection of the (M261F) Sierra Nevada Foothills section. MLRA: 18 - Sierra Nevada Foothills (Cascade part). 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 from the vegetation pattern (strips of grass associated with hard mudflow beds amongst brush and trees associated with deeper soils) the soil exhibits on aerial photographs.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon zone from 0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm) (A)
Cambic horizon zone from 2 to 9 inches, (5 to 24 cm) (Bt1, Bt2)
Lithic contact 9 inches, (24 cm)
Particle-size control section for this pedon: 0 to 9 inches, (0 to 24 cm)
The soil moisture control section zone at 9 inches, (23 cm) is dry in all parts from about June to October (about 135 days).