LOCATION SHONDOW CA
Established Series
Rev. ET-CEJ-MAV
06/2016
SHONDOW SERIES
The Shondow series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils formed in mixed alluvium. These soils are now partially drained. Shondow soils are on stream terraces and fan terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 130 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 15 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aquic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Shondow loam on a slope of less than 1 percent under alkali sacaton and rubber rabbitbrush at an elevation of 1,160 meters. (When described on June 10, 1985, the soil was dry to 99 cm and moist below; colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated).
A--0 to 15 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, and fine, and few medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary (10 to 20 cm thick).
Btkn1--15 to 43 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine and medium tubular pores; many faint clay films on faces of peds; slightly effervescent, carbonates segregated as many fine and medium soft masses; 3 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 36 cm thick).
Btkn2--43 to 71 cm; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common faint clay films bridging mineral grains and in pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates segregated as many fine and medium soft masses; 3 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 41 cm thick).
Bkn--71 to 99 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; weak very coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent with carbonates segregated as few fine soft masses; few fine prominent dark gray (10YR 4/1), very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist masses of manganese accumulations lining pores and surrounding roots; 5 percent gravel; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 36 cm thick).
C1--99 to 124 cm; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) sandy loam, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common medium prominent dark gray (10YR 4/1), very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist masses of manganese accumulations lining pores and surrounding roots; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 41 cm thick).
2C2--124 to 152 cm; light gray (5Y 7/2) gravelly loamy sand, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; commons medium prominent dark gray (10YR 4/1), very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist masses of manganese accumulations lining pores and surrounding roots; 15 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Inyo County, California; about 2.5 miles north of the town of Independence; 2,200 feet west and 2,400 feet north of the SE corner of Sec. 5, T. 13 S., R. 35 E.; USGS Independence 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 36 degrees 49 minutes 58 seconds N and longitude 118 degrees 11 minutes 30 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 36.8327778 latitude, -118.1916667 longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature is 15 to 17.8 degrees C. The soil temperature is below 8.3 degrees C. from about December 1 to March 1, and is below 5 degrees C. from about January 1 to February 1. The soil between the depths of 15 and 46 cm is dry throughout for 180 to 200 days from about June 15 to December 15. It is moist throughout for 90 to 105 days from about January 15 to April 30 and is moist in some or all parts for 90 to 110 consecutive days from about March 1 to June 15 when the soil is above 8.3 degrees C.
The A horizon color is 10YR 5/1, 5/2, or 4/1, 4/2. Moist color is 10YR 2/1, 3/1 or 3/2. Clay averages 18 to 22 percent. Organic carbon is 1 to 3 percent. Electrical conductivity ranges from 4 to 8 dS/m and sodium adsorption ratio is 4 to 13. Reaction is moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
The Btkn horizon color is 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2; 5Y 4/1, 6/1; 10YR 4/1, 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 6/2. Moist color is 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2; 5Y 2/1, 3/1; 10YR 3/2, or 4/2. Textures are loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam averaging 22 to 35 percent. It is slightly effervescent to violently effervescent. It has less than 5 percent coarse fragments. Electrical conductivity is 8 to 32 dS/m and sodium adsorption ratio is 13 to 60. Reaction is moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
The Bkn horizon color is 2.5Y 4/2, 5/2, 6/2; 5Y 4/1; 10YR 5/2, 6/2. Moist color is 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2; 5Y 2/1, 3/1; 10YR 3/2 or 4/2. Textures are loam, sandy loam or sandy clay loam averaging 18 to 35 percent clay. It is slightly effervescent to violently effervescent. It has less than 5 percent coarse fragments. Electrical conductivity is 2 to 4 dS/m and sodium adsorption ratio 13 to 45. Reaction is slightly to very strongly alkaline.
The C and 2C horizon color is 2.5Y 4/2, 6/2; 5Y 6/1, 6/2, or 7/2. Moist color is 2.5Y 4/4, 4/2, 5/3; 5Y 4/3, 5/3. Textures are sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or gravelly loamy sand averaging 5 to 18 percent clay. The lower portion in some pedons are stratified sandy loam through sandy clay loam. It is noneffervescent or slightly effervescent. It has 5 to 25 percent coarse fragments. Reaction is slightly through moderately alkaline. Some pedons lack a C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other soils in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Shondow soils are on stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in alluvium from mixed sources. Elevations are 1,100 to 1,280 meters. The climate is arid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 180 mm. The mean annual temperature is 13.9 to 17.8 degrees C. Mean July temperature is about 26.7 degrees C., and mean January temperature is about 4.4 degrees C. The frost-free season is 140 to 225 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS ARE: Dehy (T), Manzanar (T), and Winnedumah (T). Dehy soils have a coarse-loamy control section and are located on fan terraces. Manzanar soils do not have a mollic epipedon. Winnedumah soils do not have a mollic epipedon. These soils are located on stream terraces of nearby landscapes.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained: slow runoff; slow permeability, some areas have rapid permeability in the substratum. A water table is at a depth of 61 to 91 cm from March 1 to June 1. Shondow soils have been artificially drained by groundwater pumping and water diversions. The soils watertable now fluctuates according to demand for pumping. During years of above average precipitation the watertable rises us the demand for pumping decreases and conversely during dry years the watertable lowers and the demand increases. Drained phases of Shondow soils are recognized and are moderately well drained with a water table at 152 to 183 cm.
USE AND VEGETATION: Shondow soils are used for rangeland and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is alkali sacaton, inland saltgrass and watersage saltbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Owens Valley of Eastern California. The series is not extensive in MLRA 29. The name is from a nearby ranch.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Benton-Owens Valley Area, Inyo County, California, 1988.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon -- 0 to 43 cm (A, Btk)
Argillic horizon -- 15 to 71 cm (Btk, Btkn).
Aquic subgroup -- Low chroma redoximorphic features (10YR 4/1, 3/1) within 75cm. (artificial drainage caused by water diversions).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.