LOCATION RAMELLI CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey over loamy, smectitic over mixed, superactive, mesic Aquandic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ramelli silty clay - on a slope of less than 1 percent in a grazed meadow. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 2 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate very thin platy structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.1); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 3 inches thick)
A2--2 to 7 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak thick platy parting to moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine and medium roots; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films line pores; slightly acid (pH 6.1); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 5 inches thick)
Bg1--7 to 14 inches; gray (N 5/) clay , black (N 2/) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky, plastic; common very fine and medium roots; many very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores, few very fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
Bg2--14 to 18 inches; dark gray (N 4/) clay, black (N 2/) moist; strong medium prismatic parting to strong coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky, plastic; common very fine and fine and few medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous thin clay films line pores and one faces of peds; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
2Bg3--18 to 26 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) sandy clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; strong medium prismatic parting to strong coarse angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; few very fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine tubular pores; continuous thin clay films line pores and or faces of peds; strongly effervescent in the lower part of this horizon, lime occurs in soft bodies; mildly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
3Cg1--26 to 28 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) coarse sandy loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; common medium light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles; weak medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky, plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial and few fine tubular pores; common thin clay films line pores and on face of peds; strongly effervescent, lime occurs in soft bodies; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 16 inches thick)
3Cg2--28 to 34 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy coarse sand dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles; massive; slightly hard, firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, lime occurs in soft bodies; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 7 inches thick)
3C1--34 to 45 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common medium prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) mottles; strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; very few fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear slightly wavy boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
3C2--45 to 64 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loamy coarse sand, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; many large prominent reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) moist; massive; soft, slightly firm, nonsticky, nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.5).
TYPE LOCATION: Plumas County, California; 600 feet east of Heriot Lane; approximately 4 1/2 miles northwest of town of Loyalton; 100 feet north and 600 feet east of center sec. 28, T.22 N., R. 15 E.; 39 degrees North, 42 minutes, 58 seconds and 120 degrees West, 16 minutes, 25 seconds.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is about 48 degrees to 50 degrees F. The soils are above 41 degrees F from about March 15 to November 15. The soils are saturated from a high water table most of the year and are moist at the surface from about November 15 to July 1. The depth to mottles is 8 to 28 inches. The soils are noncalcareous from the surface to a depth of 20 inches. They are calcareous in some parts from a depth of 20 to 40 inches and they are either calcareous below a depth of 40 inches. Phases that are noncalcareous throughout are also recognized. The upper 16 to 30 inches of the profile is clay, silty clay or silty clay loam with 35 to 50 percent clay. It is influenced by volcanic material and has a bulk density of 0.95 g/cc to 1.1 g/cc. Below this the texture is a stratified coarse sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, sandy clay loam and loam with 5 to 25 percent clay.
The A horizon is 10YR 3/1, 4/1, 5/1, 2/2, 4/2; 2.5Y 4/2; N 3/, 4/0, 5/. Moist colors are 10YR 2/1, 2/2, 3/3; N 2/ or 1/. It is slightly acid or neutral. Organic matter content ranges from 5 to 15 percent and decreases regularly with depth.
The B horizon includes the same colors as the A horizon. It is clay or silty clay. The lower boundary of this horizon is gradual or there is a transitional horizon. Reaction is slightly acid through mildly alkaline.
The C horizon is 10YR 5/2, 6/2, 7/1, 7/2, 7/3; 2.5Y 6/2, 7/1, 7/2, 5/4, 6/4; 5Y 6/2, 6/3 or 7/2. Moist colors are 10YR 3/3, 4/2, 5/3; 2.5Y 4/2 or 5/2. It is stratified sandy loam, loamy sand, sandy clay loam and loam with 5 to 25 percent clay in the upper part and loam, silt loam, sandy loam or their gravelly equivalents in the lower part. Reaction is mildly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the black Canyon series. Black Canyon soils are calcareous is some part above a depth of 20 inches and lack low bulk density associated with andic properties.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Ramelli soils are nearly level and are in depressional basins or valley flood plains at elevations of 4,500 to 5,300 feet. They formed in fine textured alluvium from mixed sources including some volcanic ash and are underlain by coarser textured alluvium. The climate is cool semiarid. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 25 inches. Average January temperature is 28 degrees F, average July temperature is 69 degrees F, and mean annual temperature is 48 degrees to 50 degrees F. The freeze-free season is 80 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Balman, Beckwourth, Calpine, Loyalton, Ormsby and the competing James Canyon soils. Balman soils lack mollic epipedons and are calcareous in the upper horizons. Beckwourth soils have an argillic horizon and have less than 35 percent clay. Calpine soils are sandy loam and lack mottles. Loyalton soils have a natric horizon. Ormsby soils are sandy in all horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly and very poorly drained ; ponded or very slow runoff; slow permeability in the upper part and moderate or moderately rapid in lower part.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for meadow, pasture and hay. The vegetation is of a meadow type. The principal plants are sedges and bluegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Plumas County, California 1973.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedons S61CA-063-013 (type location) and S61CA-063-014 (range in characteristics).
REMARKS: Series should probably be vertic subgroup based on mineralogy. Dispersion ratio does not suggest andic properties.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 8/83.
Series reclassified 5/95. Competing series not updated at that time.