LOCATION SKYHIGH                 CA

Established Series
Rev. CAK/WDB/TDC/SBS
01/2023

SKYHIGH SERIES


The Skyhigh series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in material weathered from sandstone and shale. Skyhigh soils are on hills and have slopes of 8 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 35 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 58 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Mollic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Skyhigh loam--on a northeast facing slope of 42 percent under annual grasses, blue oak and digger pine at an elevation of 1,840 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 5/23/80, the soil was moist below 8 inches.)

A--0 to 2 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist, weak very fine and fine granular and subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; many fine and few fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial pores; 2 percent pebbles 2 to 25 mm in diameter; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)

Bt1--2 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; strong fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and many fine interstit1al pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds; 2 percent pebbles 2 to 25 mm in diameter; slightly acid (pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)

Bt2--8 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; common moderately thick and few thick clay films on peds and in pores; 5 percent pebbles 2 to 25 mm in diameter; slightly acid-(pH 6.5); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 15 inches thick)

Bt3--22 to 30 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on peds and in pores; 5 percent pebbles 2 to 25 mm in diameter; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Bt4--30 to 38 inches; variegated yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4, 4/6) and dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; strong medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; few medium and coarse roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; common moderately thick and thick clay films on peds and in pores; 10 percent pebbles 2 to 25 mm in diameter; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)

R--38 inches; hard, fractured sandstone; fractures are 1 to 2 inches apart; rock cuts with a spade with difficulty and will not slake in water.

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, California; about 3 miles east of Lower Lake, on south side of a dirt road 0.4 miles from its intersection with Rivendell Road, 0.3 miles from the intersection of Rivendell Road and Morsan Valley Road; 200 feet east and 350 feet south of the northeast corner of the NE 1/4 NW 1/4 sec. 8, T. 12 N., R. 6 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to a lithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 degrees to 64 degrees F. The soil is dry in all parts of the moisture control section (6 to 19 inches) from July 1 to October 30 and is moist in all parts of the moisture control section from January 1 to April 30. The particle-size control section (8 to 38 inches) averages from 35 to 50 percent clay. Horizons that have mollic colors are 4 to 14 inches thick and are either massive and hard when dry, or have less than 0.7 percent organic carbon below 6 inches.

The A horizon has dry colors of 10YR 4/4, 4/3, 5/2, or 5/3; 7.5YR 5/3 or 4/4 and moist colors of 10YR 3/1, 3/2, or 3/3; 7.5YR 4/3, 3/3. Texture is loam with 0 to 15 percent pebbles. Reaction is moderately acid or neutral.

The Bt horizons have dry colors of 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/3 or 5/4; 7.5YR 4/4, 4/3 and moist colors of 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 4/6 or 5/4; 7.5YR 4/4, 4/3, 3/3. The lower part of this horizon commonly has variegated 10YR and 7.5YR colors. Texture is clay loam, sandy clay loam or clay with 35 to 50 percent clay and has 0 to 35 percent gravels. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral. Some pedons lack a Bt3 horizon.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Azule, Rincon and Sleeper series in the same family and the Dibble series in another family. Azule soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Dibble soils have surface horizons with moist chromas greater than 3.5 and have a paralithic contact. Rincon soils are greater than 60 inches deep. Sleeper soils are 40 to 60 inches deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Skyhigh soils are on hills. Slopes are 8 to 50 percent. The soils formed from material weathered from sandstone and shale. Elevations are from 800 to 2,800 feet. The climate is subhumid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 22 to 40 inches. Mean January temperature is 41 degrees F; mean July temperature is 68 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 56 degrees to 60 degrees F. Frost-free season is 160 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bressa, Etsel, Hopland, Maymen, Millsholm, Pomo, and Sobrante soils. Bressa, Etsel, Hopland and Sobrante soils are fine-loamy. Etsel, Maymen and Millsholm soils are less than 20 inches deep to a lithic contact. Pomo soils are 40 to 60 inches deep.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very high runoff; slow permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used primarily for rangeland and homesite development. They are also used for hay and pastureland and firewood production. Native vegetation is wild oats, soft chess, annual clover, blue oak, and digger pine.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the Coast Range of Northern California. The series is not extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, California 1983.

REMARKS: When the soil is dry, cracks about 0.5 to 1.0 cm wide are present at a depth of 10 inches. The wet consistence is sticky and plastic. This indicates smectitic mineralogy.

OSED scanned by SSQA.

Series classification updated 5/96.



National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.