LOCATION STEERSTOMPED            CA

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

STEERSTOMPED SERIES

The Steerstomped series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Steerstomped soils are on stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 250 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, frigid Aquic Torriorthents

TYPICAL PEDON: Steerstomped loam--pastureland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 3 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and many very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; violent effervescence; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.2); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 13 cm thick)

A2--3 to 25 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial and few very fine and fine tubular pores; 2 percent gravel; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 25 cm thick)

C1--25 to 64 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and common very fine and fine interstitial pores; 5 percent gravel; violent effervescence; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5); clear wavy boundary. (25 to 40 cm thick)

C2--64 to 89 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few very fine and fine tubular and few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 10 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 30 cm thick)

C3--89 to 114 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 10 percent gravel; slight effervescence; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt smooth boundary. (13 to 38 cm thick)

2C--114 to 152 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) very gravelly loamy coarse sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent dark brown (7.5YR 3/4), moist, masses of oxidized iron in the matrix; 55 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Mono County, California; in the Bridgeport Valley; about 1,060 feet south of the northeast corner of section 32, T. 5 N., R. 25 E.; Big Alkali USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 38 degrees 14 minutes 15.0 seconds N and longitude 119 degrees 13 minutes 52.7 seconds W; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.2541667 latitude, -119.2313056 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 75 to 100 cm during the late winter and early spring in most years.
Mean annual soil temperature: 7 to 8 degrees C.
Depth to unconformable sandy-skeletal material: 100 to 150 cm.

Particle-size control section: Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages less than 15 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of rock fragments is mainly mixed igneous and metamorphic rock.

A horizons
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3 dry or moist.
Salinity (EC): 8 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.
Reaction: Strongly alkaline or very strongly alkaline.

C1 and C2 horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages less than 15 percent.
Effervescence: Strongly effervescent or violently effervescent.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 16 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 13 to 30.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent.

C3 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: Averages 10 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages less than 15 percent.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Salinity (EC): 4 to 8 mmhos/cm.
Sodicity (SAR): 5 to 12.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 3 percent.

2C4 horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Stratified very gravelly coarse sand to fine sandy loam.
Clay content: Averages 5 to 10 percent.
Rock fragments: Averages 35 to 60 percent.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent or slightly effervescent.
Reaction: Slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.

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

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Steerstomped soils are on stream terraces. They typically occur on summit positions. They formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. Elevations range from 1,955 to 2,015 meters. The climate is semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 250 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 6 to 7 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Eastwalker and Steerlay series. Eastwalker and Steerlay soils have a Mollic epipedon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat poorly drained; low surface runoff; moderately rapid permeability; high saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 75 and 100 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 year round.

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

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:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the surface to 18 cm (A1 and part of the A2 horizon).
Aquic conditions - The conditions of endosaturation and reduction in horizons between 75 and 152 cm at certain times in normal years (lower C3 and 2C4 horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 25 to 100 cm (C1, C2 and upper C3 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.