LOCATION SHAVER                  CA

Established Series
Rev. RCH/AGS/DJE/AGB/TKK
03/2023

SHAVER SERIES

The Shaver series consists of deep and very deep, well drained soils formed in material weathered from decomposed granitic rock. Shaver soils are on mountains with slopes of 5 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 1015 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 12 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Humixerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Shaver coarse sandy loam - on an east-facing, linear, slope of 10 percent. Vegetation is western brackenfern, greenleaf manzanita, ponderosa pine, blue wildrye. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on June 18, 1963, the soil was dry to 15 cm and moist from 15 cm to the paralithic contact).

Oi--0 to 2 cm; slightly decomposed litter and duff, mainly pine needles and oak leaves.

Oe--2 to 4 cm; moderately decomposed litter and duff, mainly pine needles and oak leaves.

A1--4 to 19 cm, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, 10 percent clay; weak, fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots and common fine roots; many very fine tubular and interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

A2--19 to 42 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, 10 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 25 cm thick)

A3--42 to 80 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist, 10 percent clay; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; common fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (30 to 75 cm thick)

Bw--80 to 133 cm; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, 11 percent clay; massive ; soft, friable nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine, medium, and coarse roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores and common very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual smooth boundary. (40 to 75 cm thick)

Cr--133 cm; well-weathered granodiorite.

TYPE LOCATION: El Dorado County, California; 3 miles south of Somerset, 25 feet west of the Fair Play Road, and 0.3 mile northwest of the center of section 30, T.9 N., R.12 E., MDB&M. WGS84 38.6057139 latitude and -120.7002056 longitude. UTM Zone 10 700256 meters E 4275535 meters N, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: the mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm depth is between 8 and 15 degrees C. The difference between mean summer and winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a mesic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: the soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about June to October. The soils have a xeric moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Umbric epipedon thickness: 50 to 90 cm
Depth to Paralithic contact: 100 to 200 cm

Particle size control section weighted averages:
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel

A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4 dry; 2 or 3 moist
Textures: sandy loam, coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel (dominantly 2 to 5 mm)
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

Bw horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Textures: sandy loam, coarse sandy loam
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel (dominantly 2 to 5 mm)
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

C horizon (where present)
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 5 or 6 dry; 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry or moist
Textures: sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand
Clay content: 2 to 10 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravels (dominantly 2 to 5 mm)
Reaction: very strongly acid to slightly acid

COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family at this time.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shaver soils are on backslopes of mountain slopes of 5 to 75 percent. Elevations range from 550 to 1880 meters. The higher portion of the elevation range is restricted to the southern Sierra Nevada, generally on south aspects. The soils formed in material weathered from granitic rocks. The climate is Mediterranean, with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual air temperature is 12 degrees C, with mean January air temperature of 1 degree C and mean July air temperature of 18 degrees C. Mean annual precipitation is 750 to 1115 mm, of which 1 to 20 percent occurs as snow. The frost-free season is about 140 to 250 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ahwahnee, Chaix, Chawanakee, Holland and Musick series. Ahwahnee, Holland and Musick soils have an argillic horizon. Ahwahnee, Chaix, Chawanakee, Holland and Musick do not have umbric epipedons. All occur primarily on backslopes of high hills or mountains. The shallower soils without argillic horizons (Chawanakee and Chaix) occur on steeper, less stable portions of the backslope, or on shoulders or summits. Ahwahnee, Musick and Holland soils occur in more stable positions, with Musick tending to occur higher on the landscape. Musick soils have 2.5YR hue in the upper part of the argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high to high throughout. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the weathered bedrock is very low to low.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for commercial conifer timber production, watershed, wildlife areas, recreation, and homesite development. Natural vegetation consists of semi-open to dense, mixed conifer forest and shrub cover. Principal species are ponderosa pine, sugar pine, white fir, incense cedar, Jeffrey pine, California black oak, pacific dogwood, greenleaf manzanita and whitethorn ceanothus.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. The soils are moderately extensive.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Amador County (Amador Area), California, 1963.

REMARKS:
Particle size control section for this pedon: 29 to 104 cm

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Umbric epipedon: 4 to 80 cm
Paralithic contact: 133 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA:
Pedon information for this type location only:
Pedon Type: OSD pedon
Pedon Purpose: soil survey inventory
NASIS User Pedon ID: 1968CA017004

Former classifications of this series include both Humic Dystroxerepts (which may have been a mistake), and Pachic Ultic Haploxerolls.

This soil was classified using the 13th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.