LOCATION SASQUATCH CA

Established Series
Rev: JPS/ACF/ET
12/2022

SASQUATCH SERIES

The Sasquatch series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium and residuum derived from sandstone and mudstone. Sasquatch soils are on mountains and hills and have slopes of 5 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is approximately 2030 millimeters (80 inches) and the mean annual temperature is approximately 11 degrees C (52 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isomesic Typic Palehumults

TYPICAL PEDON: Sasquatch loam - on a uniform southwest-facing slope of 40 percent under coast redwood, Douglas-fir, western hemlock, thimbleberry, salmonberry, California huckleberry, salal, Pacific rhododendron, redwood sorrel and swordfern at 290 meters (951 feet) elevation. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated. When described October 11, 2005, the soil was slightly moist throughout.)

Oi--0 to 3 centimeters (0 to 1 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) slightly decomposed needles, leaves and twigs, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine and common interstitial pores; 20 percent wood fragments; strongly acid (pH 5.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 12 centimeters thick)

A1--3 to 11 centimeters (1 to 4 inches); very dark brown (10YR 2/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and medium and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; 8 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.2); clear wavy boundary.

A2--11 to 43 centimeters (4 to 17 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak very fine and moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and common fine interstitial pores; strongly acid (pH 5.2); 5 percent gravel; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizons is 20 to 45 centimeters)

BAt--43 to 67 centimeters (17 to 26 inches); dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial and few medium tubular pores; 8 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 30 centimeters thick)

Bt1--67 to 117 centimeters (26 to 46 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) cobbly clay loam, yellow (10YR 7/6) dry; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium and few coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular and interstitial and few medium tubular pores; 15 percent gravel and 7 percent cobbles; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--117 to 141 centimeters (46 to 56 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay loam, reddish yellow (7.5YR 7/6) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; moderately few very fine and common fine, medium and coarse roots; moderately few very fine and common fine and few medium tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 10 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8); clear wavy boundary.

Bt3--141 to 179 centimeters (56 to 70 inches); light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) gravelly clay loam, yellow (2.5Y 7/6) dry; moderate medium and weak coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; moderately few very fine, fine and medium roots; moderately few fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 5.0); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 95 to 152 centimeters)

BCt--179 to 200 centimeters (70 to 79 inches); light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) gravelly clay loam, yellow (2.5Y 7/6) dry; weak medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse and very coarse roots; moderately few fine tubular and interstitial pores; 15 percent gravel; very strongly acid (pH 4.8). (0 to 30 centimeters thick)

TYPE LOCATION: Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Del Norte County, California; located approximately 20 meters south of the trail intersection, 1.2 miles north of the trailhead of the Coastal Trail DeMartin Section; northwest quarter, northwest quarter, northwest quarter Section 31, T. 15 N., R. 1 E., 41.6538611latitude and -124.1184444 longitude; HBLM, USGS Childs Hill Quadrangle; UTM Zone 10 406871mE 4611952mN; NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture: The soil is usually moist in all parts in the soil moisture control section in most years, but becomes dry in the upper part for a time less than 30 days cumulative from approximately September 15 to October 15 in most years. The soils have an udic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 centimeters is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). The difference between mean summer and mean winter temperature is 2 to 4 degrees C. The soils have an isomesic temperature regime.

Base Saturation: between 15 and 35 percent by sum of cations at 125 centimeters below the upper boundary of the argillic horizon.

Reaction: moderately to very strongly acid throughout.

Organic matter: greater than 0.9 percent organic carbon in the upper 15 centimeters of the argillic horizon.

Umbric Epipedon: 25 to 110 centimeters

Particle-Size Control Section (weighted average):

Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 7 percent cobbles, and 0 to 20 percent paragravels.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.

O horizon

Hue: 10YR.
Value: 2 through 6 dry and moist.
Chroma: 1 through 4 dry and moist.

Texture: slightly decomposed organic material.
Wood fragments: 0 to 35 percent.
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent.
Reaction: moderately to very strongly acid.

A horizon

Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4 dry, 1 through 4 moist.

Texture of fine earth: loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Clay content: 20 to 27 percent

Bt horizon

Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y.
Value: 4 through 7 dry, 3 through 6 moist.
Chroma: 4 through 6 dry, 3 through 6 moist.

Texture of fine earth: clay loam, or silty clay loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent gravel, 0 to 7 percent cobbles
Pararock fragments: 0 to 20 percent paragravels.
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Littleriver and Lepoil soils. Lepoil soils have less than 5 percent gravel and paragravel fragments in the profile. Littleriver soils are derived from fluviomarine deposits

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Sasquatch soils are on mountain slopes, hill slopes and broad ridgetops. Slope gradients are 5 to 75 percent. Elevations are 5 to 565 meters (115 to 1850 feet). These soils formed in colluvium and residuum from sandstone and mudstone. The climate is humid with cool, foggy summers and cool, rainy winters. Mean annual precipitation is 1650 to 2290 millimeters (65 to 90 inches). Mean winter soil temperature (December, January, and February) is approximately 9 degrees C; mean summer soil temperature (June, July, and August) is approximately 14 degrees C; and the mean annual soil temperature is 10 to 13 degrees C (50 to 55 degrees F). The difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperatures is less than 6 degrees C. Frost-free season is approximately 250 to 325 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Footstep, Ladybird, Sisterrocks, Stonehill, and Yeti soils. Footstep and Stonehill soils are 50 to 100 centimeters to bedrock. Ladybird soils have a 20 percent decrease from the maximum clay content before a depth of 150 centimeters. Sisterrocks soils are loamy-skeletal. Yeti has a fine particle-size control section. The Footstep and Stonehill soils are on strongly convex slopes or on spur ridges above Sasquatch soils. The Ladybird soils are on linear to concave slope positions. The Sisterrocks soils are alongside the Sasquatch soils on very gravelly colluvium. The Yeti soils are in concave positions.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; medium to high runoff; moderately low to moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil has been used for commercial timber production, wildlife, and watershed. Natural vegetation includes redwood, Douglas-fir, tanoak, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, rhododendron, evergreen huckleberry, redwood sorrel, and sword fern.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: California 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.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

1. Umbric epipedon - the zone from 3 to 43 centimeters (A1, and A2 horizons).
2. Argillic horizon - the zone from 43 to 200 centimeters (BAt, Bt and BCt horizons).
3. Palehumult feature - clay maximum is 38 percent in lower B horizons and does not decrease with depth.
4. Particle-size control section - the zone from 43 to 93 centimeters, averages 32 percent clay, by weight, and 19 percent rock fragments, by volume.

ADDITIONAL DATA:

NASIS User Pedon ID: 02CA605REDW009

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.