LOCATION STACHER CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Medial over loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Haploxerands
TYPICAL PEDON: Stacher very gravelly coarse sandy loam on a NE facing 42 percent slope under a cover of mixed conifers at an elevation of 4,580 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless, otherwise stated. When described July 15, 1987, the soil was dry throughout.)
Oi--3 to 0 inches; recent and decomposed litter.
A--0 to 4 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very gravelly coarse sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 40 percent gravel; NaF pH 11.5; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 7 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 7 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; NaF pH 11.5; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--7 to 14 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown to dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine and few very fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 30 percent gravel; NaF pH 11.0; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw1 and Bw2 horizons is 10 to 12 inches)
2Bw3--14 to 25 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy clay loam, light brown (7.5YR 6/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common fine, and medium and few very fine and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 45 percent gravel; NaF pH 10.5; moderately acid (pH 5.8); gradual wavy boundary.
2Bw4--25 to 47 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium and few coarse and very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; NaF pH 10.0; moderately acid (pH 5.9); clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bw3 and Bw4 horizons is 30 to 40 inches)
2Bw5--47 to 65 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 60 percent gravel and 20 percent cobbles; NaF pH 10.0; moderately acid (pH 5.9). (20 to 30 inches thick)
3Cr--65 inches; soft weathered andesite porphyry.
TYPE LOCATION: Shasta County, California; about 7 miles southwest of Burney; 1,000 feet north and 1,800 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 22, T. 34 N., R. 2 E., Burney SW (Burney Mtn. West) quadrangle (7.5 minute series).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a paralithic contact is greater than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 41 to 45 degrees F. The soil temperature exceeds 41 degrees F. from mid May to mid November (170-190 days) and exceeds 47 degrees F. from early July to early October. The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from mid July to mid October, (about 90 to 110 days) and is moist in all parts from early November to mid June. The mineralogy is dominated by allophane. Clay fraction has gibbsitic mineralogy.
The A horizon color is 10YR 4/2, 5/3; or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 2/2, 3/2; or 7.5YR 3/2. Organic matter ranges from 8 to 10 percent. Texture is very gravelly coarse sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 10 to 15 percent. Rock fragments, mostly andesitic porphory gravel range from 15 to 60 percent. NaF pH is 10.5 to 12.0. Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 30 to 35 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or moderately acid. Bulk density is 0.3 to 0.6.
The Bw1 and Bw2 horizons color is 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 8/4; 7.5YR 6/4, 7/4, or 8/4. Moist color is 10YR 4/4, 5/4; 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6, or 6/4. Organic matter ranges from 2 to 5 percent. Clay content ranges from 15 to 20 percent. Rock fragments, mostly andesitic porphory gravel range from 20 to 35 percent. NaF pH is 10.5 to 11.5. Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 10 to 15 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or moderately acid. Bulk density is 0.5 to 0.85.
The 2Bw3 and 2Bw4 horizons color is 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 7/4, 8/4; 7.5YR 6/4, 7/4, or 8/4. Moist color is 10YR 4/4, 5/4; 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6, or 6/4. Organic matter ranges from 0.5 to 2 percent. Clay content ranges from 20 to 25 percent. Rock fragments of andesitic porphory range from 45 to 70 percent. NaF pH is 10.5 to 11.5. Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 3 to 9 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or moderately acid. Bulk density is 1.0 to 1.1.
The 2Bw5 horizon color is 10YR 7/4, 8/2, or 8/3. Moist color is 10YR 5/4, 6/3, or 6/4. Organic matter ranges from 0.5 to 2 percent. Clay content ranges from 20 to 25 percent. Rock fragments of andesitic porphory range from 60 to 90 percent. NaF pH ranges from 9.5 to 10.0. Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 3 to 5 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid or strongly acid. Bulk density is 1.0 to 1.1.
Andic property data (see remarks for explanation):
Depth P-ret B.D. pH NaF Glass Alo Feo 15 barH20
0-4 97 0.62 11.5 ND 5.43 0.50 18.4
4-7 92 0.53 11.5 ND 4.05 0.41 15.3
7-14 88 0.87 11.0 ND 3.75 0.35 16.1
14-25 79 1.00 10.5 ND 2.95 0.21 15.7
25-47 86 NC 10.0 ND 3.23 0.17 15.7
47-65 88 NC 10.0 ND 3.54 0.10 18.9
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Carberry (T) and Medici (T) series. Carberry soils have 8 to 18 percent clay in the lower part of the control section, have base saturation of 15 to 25 in the lower part of the control section and have a lithic contact at 40 to 60 inches. Medici soils have a mineralogy dominated by halloysite, clay content ranges 12 to 18 percent in the lower Bw horizon, and has a glass content of 15 to 30 percent.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Stacher soils are on mountains. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. These soils formed in tephra. Elevation is 4,500 to 6,200 feet. The climate is subhumid with warm dry summers and cold moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 35 to 50 inches. Snowfall is 72 to 96 inches. The mean annual temperature is 39 to 41 degrees F. The mean January temperature is about 25 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 55 degrees F. Frost-free period is 50 to 80 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Danhunt, Carberry, and Goulder soils. Danhunt soils are on mountains, are medial-skeletal, have andic properties to a depth of 60 inches, and have bulk density less than 0.85 to 60 inches. Goulder soils are on mountains, have argillic horizons, and have andic properties to 9 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for timber production. The vegetation is white fir, sugar pine, California red, Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, Incense cedar, and some Red fir. Greenleaf manzanita, sierra chinkapin, snowbrush ceanothus, Pacific dogwood, Sierra gooseberry, squawcarpet, brakenfern, and western serviceberry.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. The soils are not extensive. MLRA is 22.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Shasta County, Intermountain Soil Survey Area, California 1989. Source of name is Stacher Butte.
REMARKS: Series reclassified on September, 1994. Competing series not reviewed at that time.
Diagnostic Horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
Ochric epipedon- the zone from the soil surface to 4 inches (A)
Cambic horizon- the zone from 4 to 65 inches (Bw1, Bw2, Bw3, Bw4, Bw5)
Paralithic contact- the boundary at 65 inches (Cr)
ADDITIONAL DATA: This pedon was characterized by UC Davis in 1988. Sample number is CA87-089-6-(1-6) lab no 1680, unpublished.