LOCATION SNAGGLETOOTH CA

Established Series
Rev: LJL/CAH/ET
12/2015

SNAGGLETOOTH SERIES

The Snaggletooth series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in alluvium from granite. Snaggletooth soils are on fan remnants and slopes range from 1 to 4 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 millimeters (about 4 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 24 degrees C (about 75 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, hyperthermic Typic Calciargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Snaggletooth sandy loam on a west facing, smooth, 2 percent slope at an elevation of 346 meters (about 1130 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 65 percent gravel.

A--0 to 4 centimeters (0 to 2 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; strong very thick platy structure; moderately hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many very fine vesicular and tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 5 centimeters thick)

Bw--4 to 49 centimeters (2 to 19 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft and slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; many very fine tubular pores; 15 percent gravel; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 45 centimeters thick)

Btk1--49 to 92 centimeters (19 to 36 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; 15 percent, faint, brown (7.5YR 5/4), clay films on faces of peds and bridging sand grains; 10 percent, 2 to 20 millimeter, white (10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate masses, irregular, in matrix around concentrations, soft, clear; 15 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary.

Btk2--92 to 135 centimeters (36 to 53 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/3) loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; 15 percent, faint, brown (7.5YR 5/4), clay films on faces of peds and bridging sand grains; 15 percent, 2 to 20 millimeter, white (10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate masses, irregular, in matrix around concentrations, moderately hard, clear; 3 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary.

Btk3--135 to 200 centimeters (53 to 79 inches); light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine and few fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent, faint, brown (7.5YR 5/4), clay films on faces of peds and bridging sand grains; 10 percent, 2 to 20 millimeter, white (10YR 8/1), calcium carbonate masses, irregular, in matrix around concentrations, soft, clear; 3 percent gravel; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); (Combined thickness of the Btk horizons is greater than 100 centimeters thick.)

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 28 miles due south of Needles, California; approximately 1 mile east and 10 miles south of Snaggletooth hill located in Chemehuevi Valley; 20 feet north and 1,200 feet west of the southeast corner of section 12, T. 4 N., R. 22 E.; 34 degrees, 26 minutes, 34.2 seconds north latitude and 114 degrees, 37 minutes, 03.9 seconds west longitude; USGS Savahia Peak NE, CA 7.5 minute quadrangle; UTM 11S 0718869e 3813834n (DATUM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section: usually dry throughout, rarely moist in some part during summer or winter. The soils have a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 22 to 26.7 degrees C (72 to 80 degrees F).

Depth to argillic horizon: 2 to 50 centimeters.

Depth to base of argillic horizon: 150 to 200 centimeters.

Depth to calcic horizon: 2 to 50 centimeters.

Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.

Control section -
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly fine and medium gravel.
Clay content: averages 18 to 30 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Weak through strong, thick and very thick.
Consistence: Soft through moderately hard, nonsticky or slightly sticky and nonplastic or slightly plastic.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 5 to 15 percent.

Bw horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4.
Structure: Moderate or coarse, subangular blocky or massive.
Rock fragments: 0 to 50 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 5 to 15 percent.
Other features: Sandy loam textures are typical, but some pedons have very gravelly coarse sand. Some pedons have 1 to 4 percent secondary calcium carbonate masses.
Note: Some pedons have clay films, but do not meet the requirements for an argillic horizon.

Btk horizons
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3, 4 or 6.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: Loam, clay loam or sandy loam.
Structure: Moderate or strong.
Consistence: Moderately hard or hard, very friable or friable, slightly sticky or moderately sticky, slightly plastic or moderately plastic.
Rock fragments: Averages 0 to 15 percent, ranges from 0 to 20 percent.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth: 10 to 25 percent.
Other features: 5 to 35 percent secondary calcium carbonate masses.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Harqua(AZ), Mohall(AZ), Tremant(AZ) and Tucson(AZ) series. Harqua, Mohall, Tremant and Tucson soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section during July to September. Harqua soils average 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the control section, have SARs of 10 to 35, and EC of 4 to 20 dS/m. Mohall soils have calcic horizons at 50 to 100 centimeters. Tremant soils average 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Snaggletooth soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 1 to 4 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from granite. Elevations are 285 to 500 meters (about 900 to 1600 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, dry winters. The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 millimeters (about 3 to 5 inches); mean annual air temperature is 21 to 25 degrees C (about 70 to 77 degrees F), and the frost-free season is 320 to 365 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Rizzo, Chemehuevi, Garywash and Emptygun soils. Rizzo, Chemehuevi, Garywash and Emptygun soils lack an argillic horizon. Rizzo and Emptygun soils have sandy-skeletal particle-size control section. Chemehuvei soils have loamy-skeletal particle-size control section. Garywash soils have coarse-loamy particle-size control section.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Snaggletooth soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly creosote bush and burrobush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Lower Colorado Desert of southeastern California, U.S.A.; MLRA 31. These soils are of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California, Chemehuevi Wash OHV Area, Part of the Colorado Desert Area, 2005. The name is from Snaggletooth hill located 10 miles to the north.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches) (A and part of the Bw horizons).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 49 to 200 centimeters (19 to 79 inches) (Btk1, Btk2 and Btk3 horizons).
Calcic horizon - from a depth of 49 to 135 centimeters (19 to 53 inches) (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 49 to 99 centimeters (19 to 39 inches) (Btk1 and Btk2 horizons).

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User Pedon ID: 6799-14-4LL.

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 5/2012. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.