LOCATION SADDLEROCK CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Fluvaquentic Vertic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Saddlerock silty clay - on a slope of less than 1 percent in a field used for hay at about 4,450 feet elevation. (When described on September 22, 1978, the water table was at 56 inches in depth, and the soil was at field capacity from 12 to 56 inches. Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 5 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, black (N 2/0) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary.
A2--5 to 12 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; few fine distinct brown (10YR 5/3) mottles, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate coarse angular blocky; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the A horizons is 12 to 18 inches)
AC--12 to 17 inches; variegated pale brown (10YR 6/3) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silty clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) and black (10YR 2/1) moist; many fine distinct brown (7.5YR 5/4) mottles, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium and coarse angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Ab--17 to 52 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; many fine distinct light brown (7.5YR 6/4) mottles, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; hard, very friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 35 inches thick)
ACgb--52 to 60 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) and dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) and black (10YR 2/1) moist; many fine distinct reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) mottles, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; many very dark gray (N 3/0), black (N 2/0) moist organic carbon stains and pieces; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; in Secret Valley; 2 miles N from the intersection of Karlo Road and Hwy 395 and then 500 feet E to site, about 2000 feet W and 100 feet S of the NE corner of section 26, T.32 N., R.15 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature varies from 47 degrees to 51 degrees F. These soils are usually saturated between the depths of 20 and 40 inches from January through May because of a seasonal high water table. One or more buried A horizons is present. The 10 to 40 inch particle size control section is clay or silty clay with 40 to 60 percent clay. Few to many fine to medium distinct brown, dark brown, reddish yellow and light brown mottles occur from 10 to over 60 inches. Reaction is mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Organic matter content ranges from 2 to 4 percent. Thickness of the mollic epipedon is 12 to 18 inches. Ponded phases have a peat surface layer 4 to 16 inches thick.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 4/1 or 5/1. Moist color is N 2/0, 10YR 2/1, 2/2, 3/1 or 3/2. The lower part has few to many distinct 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 5/3 or 7.5YR 3/4 or 4/2 mottles, moist. It is clay or silty clay. Structure is angular blocky or prismatic parting to angular blocky.
The AC horizon dry color is 10YR 4/2, 5/1, 6/3, 7/1 or 5Y 4/2. Moist color is 10YR 2/1, 3/3, 4/2 or 5Y 4/1. The color is usually variegated. Structure is moderate medium to coarse angular blocky. Most pedons have C horizons that have strata of Ab horizons at a depth of 24 to 60 inches.
The C horizon when present, has a dry color of 10YR 6/1 or 5Y 7/1 and moist color of 10YR 3/1 or 5Y 4/1. Structure is moderate or strong medium to coarse angular blocky or is massive.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ricco (OR), Snowstorm (T CA), and Titus (IL) soils. Ricco soil lack mottles, have a slightly acid or neutral reaction and have chromas less than 1 below the mollic epipedon. Titus soils have stratified silt loam and sandy loam lower B horizons and stratified C horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Saddlerock soils are on flood plains. Elevation is 4400 to 5500 feet. Slopes are less than 2 percent. These soils formed in alluvium weathered from basalt, andesite and tuff. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 9 to 16 inches. Snowfall ranges from 10 to 30 inches. Mean January temperature is about 28 degrees F., mean July temperature is about 66 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is about 44 to 49 degrees F. Frost-free season is 60 to 130 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Corral, Gerlach and Ravendale soils. Corral soils are 10 to 20 inches deep to soft bedrock. The Gerlach and Ravendale soils have vertical cracks from the surface to 20 inches or more and lack mottles.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow runoff; slow permeability. A seasonal high water table is at a depth of 20 to 40 inches at some time from January through May. Flooding is occasional for brief periods from January through May. Ponded phases are covered with water at some time from November through June.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for hayland to produce native meadow hay, rangeland and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is mainly carex, slender wheatgrass, basin wildrye, beardless wildrye and iris.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Lassen County, California and northeastern Washoe County, Nevada. The soils of this series are not extensive
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Lassen County, California, Susanville Area, California 1988.
REMARKS:
Major Diagnostic Horizons:
1. Mollic epipedon is 12 to 18 inches thick.
1.1 Organic matter is 1 to 4 percent. The rest of the profile has an irregular decrease of organic matter with increasing depth.
1.2 One or more buried horizons occur in the profile. 1.3 Clay content ranges from 40 to 60 percent (Hydrometer method).
2. Moisture Regime
2.1 Aquic - Soil is usually saturated during winter and early spring due to a seasonal high water table at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. The lower part of the horizon and the rest of the profile has few to many distinct mottles. 2.2 Water tables fluctuate during the dry season and range from 40 to 60 inches in depth.
Series reclassified 6/96. Competing series not updated at that time.
ADDITIONAL DATA: This pedon was sampled in 1984; NSSL Pedon #S84CA-035-007.