LOCATION TEMESCAL CA
Established Series
Rev. FGS/LAB/LCL
01/2023
TEMESCAL SERIES
The Temescal series is a member of the loamy, mixed, thermic family of Lithic Xerochrepts. Typically, Temescal soils have grayish brown, slightly acid and neutral, loam A horizons, brown, neutral, loam B2 horizons over hard fractured latite porphyry at a depth of 17 inches.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, active, thermic Lithic Haploxerepts
TYPIFYING PEDON: Temescal loam - native shrubs (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A11--0 to 6 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
A12--6 to 13 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; few small angular rock fragments; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
B2--13 to 17 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
R--17 to 27 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) and light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) fractured latite porphyry; very hard, becoming harder and less fractured with depth; few very fine and medium roots in fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; about 5 miles southeast of Corona, California; approximately 1,050 feet north, 200 feet east of S1/4 corner sec. 3, T.4S., R.6W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum and depth to bedrock are 10 to 20 inches. The mean annual soil temperature just above the bedrock is 60 degrees to 63 degrees F. and the soil temperature usually is dry in some or all parts from mid-April or early May until late November or early December and is moist all the rest of the time. Most rock fragments are less than 3/4 inch in diameter and make up to 20 percent of the soil. Fragments are mostly in the lower 1/2 of the soil profile. The soil profile is sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam and has less than 20 percent clay. It is neutral or slightly acid throughout. The A horizon is light brownish gray to yellowish brown (10YR 6/2, 6/3, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4). It averages less than 1 percent organic matter. The B2 horizon is light yellowish brown to yellowish brown (10YR 6/4, 6/2, 5/3, 5/4). In most pedons it has one unit brighter chroma than the A horizon. This horizon has weak or moderate subangular blocky structure.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Amador,
Auburn,
Calleguas,
Daulton,
Escondido,
Exchequer,
Gaviota,
Hideaway,
Maymen,
Millsholm,
Sehorn,
Toomes,
Vista, and
Whiterock series. Amador and Whiterock soils are strongly acid. Auburn soils have within each pedon soils deeper than 20 inches. Calleguas soils are calcareous throughout. Daulton and Gaviota soils lack cambic horizons. Escondido and Vista soils are more than 20 inches deep to a paralithic contact. Exchequer soils have reddish hue of 5YR or 2.5YR. Hideaway soils are strongly acid and have more than 35 percent rock fragments. Maymen soils have a mean soil temperature below 59 degrees F. Millsholm soils have more than 20 percent clay. Sehorn soils are fine textured. Toomes soils lack a cambic horizon in part of each pedon and contain some vitreous material.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Temescal soils are rolling to steep and are in mountainous areas at elevations of 1,000 to 3,500 feet. The soils formed in residuum weathered from basic igneous rocks. Rock outcrops occupy up to 45 percent of the surface. The climate is subhumid mesothermal with warm dry summers and cool moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches. Average January temperature is 52 degrees F., average July temperature is 75 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is about 61 degrees F. The frost-free season is 210 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing
Gaviota and
Millsholm soils and the
Anaverde,
Blasingame, and
Las Posas soils. Anaverde soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 40 to 60 inches. Blasingame and Las Posas soils have argillic horizons and lack a lithic contact within 20 inches of the surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well-drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Temescal soils are used mainly for range and a few small areas are used for growing citrus fruits. Vegetation is mainly annual grasses and forbs with some shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern California Coastal Range. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County, California, 1973.
REMARKS: The Temescal soils were formerly classified as Lithosols.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 10/73.
ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedon S55CA-065-009
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.