LOCATION SEMPER CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Gypsic Haploxerepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Semper very fine sandy loam - on a southwest facing slope of 70 percent under red brome and scattered Mormon tea at an elevation of 2,800 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 5/14/84 the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 5 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) very fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; loose or slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; calcium carbonate equivalent is 1 percent; electrical conductivity is 1.7 mmhos/cm.; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Cky--5 to 22 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) very fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; loose, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and few fine roots decreasing with depth to few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent, lime disseminated and segregated into few fine soft filaments; calcium carbonate equivalent is 2 percent; gypsum is segregated as common medium and coarse concretions; 17 percent gypsum; electrical conductivity is 2.3 mmhos/cm.; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear irregular boundary. (15 to 25 inches thick)
Crk--22 to 26 inches; soft sandstone, violently effervescent in spots on faces of fractures; calcium carbonate equivalent is less than 0.5 percent.
TYPE LOCATION: San Luis Obispo County, California, road to pump house in Middle Canyon, 32 feet (southwest) downhill from the point where the road starts its cross slope road cut. It is 2,500 feet south and 800 feet west of the Northeast corner of section 31, T. 11 N., R. 26 W., USGS New Cuyama Topographic Quadrangle; lat. 34 degrees, 59 minutes, 56 seconds N. and long. 119 degrees, 38 minutes, 42 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic contact ranges from 20 to 40 inches. Mean annual soil temperatures range from 60 degrees to 64 degrees F and the soil temperature is always above 47 degrees F. The moisture control section is moist, between the depths of 8 and 22 inches, in some part for at least 90 consecutive days from late December until April and is moist in all parts for 45 consecutive days between mid January and mid March. The soil is dry in all parts for about 225 days.
The A horizon is 10YR 6/3, 5/4 or 6/4; 2.5Y 7/2, 5/4, 6/4 or 7/4. Moist colors are 10YR 4/3, 5/3 or 5/4; 2.5Y 4/4, 5/4 or 6/4. It is fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam with 5 to 12 percent clay. Electrical conductivity ranges from 0.5 to 2.0 mmhos/cm. Gypsum is 0 to 5 percent. It has 0 to 10 percent gravel. Reaction is slightly or moderately alkaline.
The Cky horizon is 10YR 7/3, 6/4 or 7/4; 2.5Y 7/2, 8/2, 6/4 or 7/4. Moist colors are 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/4 or 6/4; 2.5Y 4/4, 5/4 or 6/4. Textures are sandy loam, fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam with 5 to 12 percent clay. Electrical conductivity ranges from 2 to 4 mmhos/cm. It has 0 to 15 percent gravel. Gypsum content ranges from 15 to 20 percent with the crystals 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 1 to 3 percent of this horizon by volume. Reaction is slightly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Premier and Panoza(T) series in other families, there are no other soils in this family. Premier soils are deep. Panoza (T) soils have 12 to 18 percent clay.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Semper soils are on mountains and have slopes of 30 to 90 percent. Elevations range from 2,400 to 4,200 feet. The soils formed in material weathered from sandstone. The climate is semi-arid with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches. Mean January temperature is about 46 degrees F, mean July temperature is about 77 degrees F and the mean annual temperature is about 58 degrees to 62 degrees F.
Frost-free season is 175 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Hillbrick, Bellyache (T), Muranch (T) and Beam (T) soils and the competing Panoza (T) soil. Beam (T) and Hillbrick soils are 10 to 20 inches deep. Bellyache (T) soils have an argillic horizon. Muranch (T) soils have greater than 35 percent coarse fragments.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, medium runoff, moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and watershed. The vegetation is red brome, pine bluegrass, redstem filaree and scattered shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: These soils are in the Caliente Range of California, MLRA 15. They are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: San Luis Obispo County, (Carrizo Plain SSA), California 1984.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon - 0 to 5 inches (A), ranges from 5 to 15 inches thick.
The moisture regime is Aridic bordering on Xeric.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
NSSL pedon number 84P 931.