LOCATION RUSS CA

Established Series
Rev: DWH/JTB/SAA/ET
05/2016

RUSS SERIES

The Russ series consists of very deep, well drained soils on natural levee positions, lower alluvial flats, and floodplains of alluvial plains. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes range from 0 to 5 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1015 mm (40 inches). Mean annual temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, mesic Typic Udifluvents

TYPICAL PEDON: Russ loam on a nearly level slope of 1 percent under pasture at an elevation of 6 meters (20 feet). (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted. When described on May 16, 2001 the soil was moist.)

Ap1--0 to 30 centimeters (0 to 12 inches); very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine and fine irregular pores; few fine faint dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/6) iron-manganese masses in matrix; slightly acid (pH 6.4); diffuse wavy boundary. (5 to 69 centimeters thick)

C1--30 to 36 centimeters (12 to 14 inches); very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; many very fine and fine irregular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); diffuse wavy boundary. (0 to 18 centimeters thick)

C2--36 to 52 centimeters (14 to 20 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine dendritic tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (17 to 152 centimeters thick)

C3--52 to 127 centimeters (20 to 50 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine dendritic tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 91 centimeters thick)

C4--127 to 153 centimeters (50 to 60 inches); dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) stratified loamy fine sand to fine sandy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) dry; massive and single grain; soft, very friable, non-sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine dendritic tubular pores; common fine distinct 10YR 3/6 iron-manganese masses in matrix; common medium distinct 2.5Y 4/1 iron depletions in matrix; neutral (pH 6.8). (0 to 84 centimeters thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Humboldt County, California; Fernbridge; about 152 meters west of the south end of the Fernbridge structure; 808 meters west, 488 meters north of the southeast corner Section 29, T.3N., R.1W., HB&M; Fortuna Quadrangle (7.5 minute series); WGS84 Decimal degrees 40.6116667 latitude and -124.2077778 longitude, UTM Zone 10 397918mE, 4496136mN; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil Moisture: The soil moisture control section between 16 to 52 centimeters (6 to 20 inches) is not dry in all parts for as long as 90 cumulative days in normal years. The soils have an udic moisture regime.

Soil Temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters (20 inches) is 12 to 15 degrees C (53 to 59 degrees F). The average summer soil temperature is about 18 degrees C and the average winter soil temperature is about 9 degrees C. The difference between average summer and winter soil temperatures is about 6 to 9 degrees C.

Particle Size Control Section: (weighted average)
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent clay.

Endosaturation: The water table is at a depth of 100 to 150 centimeters in January and February and falls below 183 centimeters March through December.

Depth to redoximorphic features: Greater than 100 centimeters

Surface fragments: 0 to 5 percent gravel

A horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4, moist, 5 or 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist and dry
Percent rock fragment: 0 to 5 percent
Clay content: 8 to 24 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral

Redoximorphic features: fine and medium iron-manganese masses related tocompaction
Quantity: few or common
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 4 or 6

Upper C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4, moist, 3 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist 2 to 4 dry
Texture of fine earth: dominantly fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam, and may contain strata of loamy coarse sand, loamy sand or silt loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline

Lower C horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 3 or 4, moist, 3 to 6 dry
Chroma: 2 or 3 moist 2 to 4 dry
Texture of fine earth: dominantly fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam, and may contain strata of loamy coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand or silt loam
Clay content: 5 to 20 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

Redoximorphic features: fine and medium iron-manganese masses below 100 centimeters in some pedons
Quantity: few or common
Value: 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 moist

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Kickapoo, Floris, and Pillery soils. The Kickapoo, Floris, and Pillery soils have a difference between average summer and winter soil temperature of greater than 9 degrees C, and have a mean January soil temperature less than 8 degrees C.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Russ soils are on natural levees, lower alluvial flats, and on floodplains of alluvial plains. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources. Elevation is 3 to 50 meters (10 to 165). The climate is humid with cool, foggy summers and cool, rainy winters. Mean precipitation is 890 to 2030 millimeters (35 to 80 inches). The mean annual air temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). The mean January temperature is about 9 degrees C. The mean July temperature is about 14 degrees C. Frost free season is about 275 to 330 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ferndale, Madriver, Loleta, Worswick, and Weott soils. The Ferndale soils are fine-silty, and occur on high floodplain steps of alluvial plains. The Madriver soils have redoximorphic features at 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches), and occur on similar positions. The Loleta soils have a mollic epipedon, and are on alluvial fans. The Worswick soils have redoximorphic features at 0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches), and are on backswamps adjacent to natural levees on alluvial plains. The Weott soils are fine-silty, have redoximorphic features at 0 to 10 centimeters (0 to 4 inches), and occur on back swamps, depressions, and low flood-plain steps.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low runoff; moderate permeability, moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. The soils are occasionally flooded for brief periods December through February.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for pasture, hay, and truck garden produce. Nearly all areas of this soil have had the native vegetation removed. The native vegetation is estimated to have been red alder, black cottonwood, willow and scattered Sitka spruce with an understory of blackberry, ferns and grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal Redwood Belt MLRA 4B. The series is not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED:. Humboldt Del Norte area, California, 2007. The name is from Russ Creek near the town of Ferndale.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 36 centimeters (Ap horizon).
2. Particle size control section - the zone from 25 to 100 centimeters (Ap1, Ap2, C1, C2, C3).

ADDITIONAL DATA: ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL Pedon No. 02N0786
NASIS User Pedon ID 01CA6009P

First proposed by James and Frank Harradine. 1965. Soils of Western Humboldt County California. University of California, Davis. Classified in July of 1989 as a coarse-loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Udifluvents
Soil classified using Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th edition.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.