LOCATION SABIES CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Ashy, glassy, calcareous, thermic Vitrandic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Sabies ashy loam--at an elevation of 4,120 feet--rangeland. (When described on September 30, 1987, the soil was dry throughout. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 3 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) ashy loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak thick and moderate thin platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine vesicular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 6 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) ashy silt loam, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) moist; weak thick and moderate thin platy structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through medium roots; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0) clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 2 to 10 inches)
Cn1--6 to 18 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) ashy silt loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; weak thin platy structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine through medium roots; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual wavy boundary.
Cn2--18 to 31 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) ashy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine through medium roots; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual wavy boundary.
Cn3--31 to 38 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) ashy sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine through medium roots; few fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Cn horizons is 28 to 36 inches)
Ckn1--38 to 45 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) ashy sandy loam, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, through medium roots; common fine vesicular pores; 5 percent pebbles; secondary carbonates segregated as few thin (<1 mm) coats on pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Ckn2--45 to 60 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) stratified very gravelly ashy sandy loam to ashy sand, light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine interstitial pores; 0 to 45 percent pebbles; secondary carbonates segregated as few thin (<1 mm) coats on pebbles; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Inyo County, California; about 1 mile north of Laws; 250 feet north and 200 feet west of the southeast corner of section 16, T. 6 S., R. 33 E.; USGS Laws 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The moisture control section is dry throughout for 200 to 225 days from about May 15 to December 15. It is moist throughout for 65 to 80 days from about January 15 to April 1 and is moist in some or all parts for 70 to 85 consecutive days from about March 1 to May 15 when the soil is above 47 degrees F. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from about February 1 to January 1 (about 335 days) and it exceeds 47 degrees F. from about March 1 to December 1 (about 270 days); aridic (torric) moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 59 to 64 degrees F.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 18 to 27 percent; Rock fragments: 0 to 5 percent pebbles. Lithology of fragments are mixed; Volcanic glass content: 30 to 60 percent in coarse silt through fine sand fractions.
A horizons - Dry color: 2.5Y 7/2 or 8/2.
Moist color: 2.5Y 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, or 6/4.
Texture: Ashy sandy loam, ashy loam, or ashy silt loam.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Salinity (EC): 2 to 4 mmhos/cm in the A1 horizon and 8 to 16 mmhos/cm in the A2 horizon.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline in the A1 horizon and moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline in the A2 horizon.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Cn horizons - Dry color: 2.5Y 7/2, 7/4, 8/2, or 8/4.
Moist color: 2.5Y 5/4, 6/4, or 7/2.
Texture: Ashy loam, ashy silt loam, or ashy sandy loam.
Clay content: 10 to 27 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 45 to 60.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Ckn horizons - Dry color: 2.5Y 7/2, 7/4, or 8/2.
Moist color: 2.5Y 6/2 or 6/4.
Texture: Stratified ashy sand, ashy sandy loam, very gravelly ashy sand, and very gravelly ashy sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 45 percent, but some pedons have thin strata of extremely gravelly ashy sand.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 45 to 60 in the Ckn1 horizon and 1 to 13 in the Ckn2 horizon.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Identifiable secondary carbonates: Occurs as fine filaments or threads and thin coats on rock fragments.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: At present, there are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sabies soils are on stream terraces and fan remnants. These soils formed in volcanic ash and alluvium derived from mixed sources. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 4,200 feet. The climate is arid with cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 6 inches some of which comes as snow. The mean annual temperature is 57 to 61 degrees F. Mean July temperature is about 80 degrees F. and the mean January temperature is about 40 degrees F. The frost-free period is 140 to 180 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blindspring and Seaman soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium surface runoff; moderately slow permeability. These soils are susceptible to rare flooding for very brief periods year-round.
USE AND VEGETATION: Sabies soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly black greasewood, shadscale, and Indian ricegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central California in the Owens Valley. These soils are not extensive with about 2,800 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRA 29.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Inyo County, California, Benton-Owens Valley area, 1997.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 6 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Identifiable secondary carbonates - The zone from 38 to 60 inches (Ckn1 and Ckn2 horizons).
Particle-size control section and ashy substitute class with glassy mineralogy - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (Cn2 and Cn3 horizons and parts of the Cn1 and Ckn1 horizons).