LOCATION SNOOK CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Lithic Xerorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: Snook loam - on an east facing convex slope of 50 percent under chamise at 2,250 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 4/14/78 the soil was moist throughout.) Sixty percent (60%) of the surface is covered with small, hard, angular pebbles.
A--0 to 6 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine, and few coarse roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent hard, angular pebbles (2 to 25 mm); moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear wavy boundary.
R--6 to 15 inches; hard, highly fractured sandstone, fractures are 1 to 2 mm in width and 5 to 10 mm apart, very few fine and coarse roots in the fractures. Rock does not slake in water.
TYPE LOCATION: Mendocino County, California; on Cold Springs Lookout; 100 feet downhill south of dirt road; about 750 feet south and 1,500 feet east of the NW corner section 4, T.13 N., R.15 W; Navarro quadrangle.
RANGE OF CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact is 4 to 10 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 degrees to 62 degrees F. The soil is dry in all parts from June 1 to October 15. Gravel content ranges from 5 to 35 percent. Clay content ranges from 10 to 25 percent.
The A horizon is 10YR 6/4, 6/3, 6/2, 5/4; 7.5YR 6/2, 6/4, 5/4, or 4/4. Moist colors are 10YR 4/4, 4/3, 3/3, 3/4; 7.5YR 4/2, 3/4, or 4/4. It is sandy loam, loam, gravelly sandy loam or gravelly loam with less than 20 percent coarse and very coarse sand. Reaction ranges from strongly acid through slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Daulton (CA), Exchequer (CA), Gaviota (CA), Ocraig (CA) and Whiterock (CA) series. Daulton soils have Bw horizons and are 11 to 20 inches deep to dark colored Mariposa slates. Exchequer soils have mostly 5YR hues, though ranges from 10YR to 5YR, are loams and silt loams, and have formed from metaandesitic schists and breccia. Gaviota soils are 10 to 20 inches deep and have 10 to 18 percent clay. Ocraig soils are neutral, have greater than 20 percent coarse and very coarse sand content. Whiterock soils have mean annual soil temperature of 63 to 67 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTINGS: The Snook soils occur on mountains. Slopes are 15 to 75 percent. Elevations are typically 1,000 to 4,000 feet, but range to 4,000 feet on south aspects. The soils formed in material weathered from sandstone and shale. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 70 inches with occasional light snowfall in areas not within coastal influence. Mean January temperature is about 40 degrees F in inland areas and 45 degrees F within coastal influence; mean July temperature is about 70 degrees F; and the mean annual temperature is 55 degrees to 59 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 135 to 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Etsel and Garcia and Maymen soils. Etsel soils have 35 to 55 percent coarse fragments in the particle-size control section and a mesic soil temperature regime. Garcia soils have a mollic epipedon and are moderately deep. Maymen soils have a cambic horizon and mesic soil temperatures.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat excessively drained; low to high runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for wildlife habitat and watershed. Vegetation consists of chamise, manzanita and ceanothus.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern coastal California. The series is moderately extensive. MLRA 5.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, California, 1983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches ( A horizon)
Lithic contact - the boundary at 6 inches (R layer)