LOCATION STEERLAY                CA

Established Series
Rev. AMB-EWB-JBF
06/2017

STEERLAY SERIES

The Steerlay series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium from glacial outwash materials derived from mixed igneous and metamorphic rocks. Steerlay soils are on outwash fans and stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 350 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Aquic Haploxerolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Steerlay mucky peat--Pastureland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Oe--0 to 10 cm; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) mucky peat, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)

A--10 to 41 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) gravelly sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and very fine tubular pores; 20 percent dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist, masses of iron accumulation; 20 percent subangular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 36 cm thick)

C1--41 to 91 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and many very fine tubular pores; 20 percent dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist, masses of iron accumulation; 25 percent subangular gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.4); clear wavy boundary. (30 to 60 cm thick)

C2--91 to 114 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; 25 percent dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist, masses of iron accumulation; 30 percent subangular gravel; neutral (pH 6.6); clear wavy boundary. (15 to 40 cm thick)

2Cg--114 to 152 cm; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 20 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist, masses of iron accumulation; 45 percent subangular gravel and 10 percent subangular cobbles; neutral (pH 6.6).

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; in Bridgeport Valley about 1.2 kilometers north-northwest of the Hunewill Ranch; about 1,850 feet south and 1,580 feet east of the northwest corner of section 35, T. 5 N., R 24 E.; Twin Lakes USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 13 minutes 7.48 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 17 minutes 31.54 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.2520778 latitude, -119.2920944 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry in the moisture control section; moist winter and spring; usually dry summer and fall; Aridic moisture regime that borders on Xeric. Saturated within 50 to 75 cm during the late winter and early spring in most years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 20 to 50 cm.
Depth to unconformable sandy-skeletal material: 100 to 150 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 15 to 35 percent, mainly gravels. Lithology of rock fragments is mixed igneous and metamorphic.

Oe horizon
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 1 through 3 dry, 0 through 2 moist.
Organic matter content: 50 to 75 percent.
Fiber content: 50 to 65 percent unrubbed, 20 to 35 percent rubbed.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

A horizon
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

C Horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Texture: Gravelly sandy loam or gravelly coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: 12 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

2Cg Horizons
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 1 or 2 dry, 0 through 2 moist.
Texture: Stratified very gravelly coarse sand to fine sandy loam.
Clay content: Averages less than 10 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

COMPETING SERIES: There are currently no other series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Steerlay soils are on outwash fans and stream terraces. They typically occur on summit positions. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed sources such as igneous and metamorphic rock. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,950 to 2,015 meters. The climate is semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 350 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Mostval series. Mostval soils have greater than 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 50 and 75 cm (moderately deep free water occurrence class) between January and June. Cumulative annual duration class is common. These soils are susceptible to rare flooding for very brief periods between December and September.

USE AND VEGETATION: Steerlay soils are used for pastureland, recreation, watershed and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly sedges and rushes.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, east of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mono County (Coleville-Bridgeport Area), California, 2010.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from surface to 41 cm (Oe and A horizons).
Aquic conditions- The conditions of endosaturation and reduction in horizons between 50 and 150 cm at certain times in normal years (upper C1, C2 and Cg horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (A, C1 and C2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.