LOCATION TIPS CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Xeric Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Tips gravelly loamy coarse sand, on a southwest facing hillslope of 43 percent at 4,680 feet elevation under blackbrush, California buckwheat, goldenbush and desert needlegrass vegetation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on May 1, 1990, the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 3 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 18 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 5 inches thick)
AB--3 to 5 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) gravelly loamy coarse sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard; very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 16 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 3 inches thick)
Bt--5 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) gravelly coarse sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine and common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; common thin and few moderately thick clay films bridging and coating mineral grains and in pores; 18 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)
Cr--10 to 20 inches; decomposing granodiorite with clay stains in some fractures.
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; near Kelso Valley, about 1.8 miles due east of the intersection of Kelso Valley Road and Jawbone Canyon Road; about 600 feet west and 100 feet north of the southeast corner of Sec. 26, T.29S., R.35E., MDB&M, Pinyon Mountain Quadrangle; lat. 35 degrees 22 minutes 40 seconds N and long.118 degrees 10 minutes 57 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture - moist in some part for about 120 days when the soil is above 8 degrees C. Dry for at least 180 days.
Soil Temperature - The mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 63 degrees F.
Depth to Rock - 8 to 20 inches to weathered rock
Particle size control section:
Texture: coarse sandy loam or sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 18
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent, mostly gravel size (2-10mm),
with 0 to 10 percent boulders
A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture: gravelly loamy coarse sand or bouldery loamy coarse
sand
Clay content: 5 to 10 percent.
Organic Matter: less than 1.0 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to slightly alkaline
Effervescence: none or slight
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 3, 4 or 6 moist
Texture: gravelly coarse sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, or
bouldery coarse sandy loam
Clay content 12 to 18 percent
Organic Matter: less than 0.5 percent
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline
Effervescence: none or slight
COMPETING SERIES: There are no other series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tips soils are on hillslopes and mountain slopes of 5 to 75 percent. These soils formed in material weathered mainly from granitic rock. Some areas have basic igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks intermingled with
granitic rocks. Where calcareous metasedimentary rocks occur, the Tips soil is slightly effervescent. Elevations are 2,500 to 5,000 feet. The average annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches. The mean January temperature is 44 degrees F., mean July temperature is 75 degrees F. The mean annual temperature is 56 to 61 degrees F. The frost-free season is 175 to 225 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Xyno(T), Pilotwell(T), and Cowspring(T) soils. Pilotwell and Xyno soils are sandy throughout. Cowspring soils are 20 to 40 inches deep to weathered rock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium or rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for rangeland, homesite development and wildlife habitat. The natural vegetation is blackbrush, California buckwheat, ephedra, desert needlegrass and rabbitbrush; Some areas have a few California juniper.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The soils are not extensive along the eastern slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada Range. MLRA is 29.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California 1995; Kern County, Northeastern Part and Southeastern Part of Tulare County Soil Survey.
The name is coined from Tipton.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric Epipedon - the zone from 0 to 3 inches (A)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 5 to 10 inches (Bt)