LOCATION TOWERROAD CA

Tentative Series
Rev. JFR/KP
12/2015

TOWERROAD SERIES

The Towerroad series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, saline-sodic soils formed in mixed alluvium and lacustrine deposits on basin floors and playa rims. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 4 inches(100 millimeters) and the mean annual temperature is about 64 degrees F.(18 degrees C.).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Sodic Haplocambids

TYPICAL PEDON: Towerroad loamy sand on a 1 percent slope under saltgrass and Atriplex sp. When described on August 11, 1987, the soil was slightly moist from the surface to 15 inches (38 centimeters) and moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).

An--0 to 4 inches (0 to 10 centimeters); light gray (2.5Y 7/2) loamy coarse sand, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity 14.0 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 253; violently effervescent with disseminated carbonates; 10 percent gravel; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches or 5 to 15 centimeters thick).

Btnz--4 to 9 inches (10 to 23 centimeters); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) coarse sandy loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and medium and few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores and few very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity 7.0 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 82; few faint patchy clay films on faces of peds and in pores; violently effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated in few fine soft masses; 5 percent gravel; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.2); abrupt smooth boundary.

2Btnzg1--9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 centimeters); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) coarse sandy loam, olive (5Y 5/3) moist; massive; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few fine and medium and common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; electrical conductivity 4.2 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 39; violently effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated in common fine soft masses; few fine salt crystals; few faint patchy clay films in pores; common fine distinct pale olive (5Y 6/4) dry and common fine distinct olive (5Y 5/4) moist redoximorphic accumulations; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.1); abrupt smooth boundary.

2Btnzg2--15 to 20 inches (38 to 51 centimeters); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic and weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; electrical conductivity 5.6 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 128; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated in few fine soft masses; few fine salt crystals; few faint patchy clay films in root pores; few fine distinct pale olive (5Y 6/4) dry, few fine distinct pale yellow (5Y 7/4) dry, and few fine distinct olive (5Y 5/3) moist redoximorphic accumulations; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.1); abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Btnz horizons is 10 to 30 inches or 25 to 76 centimeters).

2Cng1--20 to 26 inches (51 to 66 centimeters); light olive gray (5Y 6/2) sandy loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; massive; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; electrical conductivity 2.1 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 33; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; few fine salt crystals; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches or 10 to 51 centimeters thick)

3Cng2--26 to 37 inches (66 to 94 centimeters); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sand, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity 1.0 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 11; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; few fine salt crystals; 2 percent gravel; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 14 inches or 0 to 36 centimeters thick)

4Cng3--37 to 43 inches (94 to 109 centimeters); light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) coarse sand, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; single grain; loose, loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity 0.6 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 7; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; 8 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (2 to 12 inches or 5 to 30 centimeters thick)

5Cng4--43 to 53 inches (109 to 135 centimeters); olive gray (5Y 5/2) sandy loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; massive; moderately hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; electrical conductivity 0.4 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 8; slightly effervescent with disseminated carbonates; few fine distinct olive (5Y 5/3) dry and few fine distinct olive (5Y 4/3) moist redoximorphic accumulations; 3 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 20 inches or 15 to 51 centimeters thick)

5Cng5--53 to 60 inches (135 to 153 centimeters); greenish gray (5GY 5/1) sandy loam, dark greenish gray (5GY 4/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine interstitial pores; electrical conductivity 0.8 decisiemens per meter; sodium adsorption ratio 10; few medium prominent dark bluish gray (5B 4/1) moist redoximorphic depletions; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7).

TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; about 1950 feet east and 2050 feet north of southwest corner sec. 26, T. 25 S, R. 40 E.; SBB&M; Ridgecrest North Quadrangle; Latitude 35 degrees 44 minutes 48 seconds north and Longitude 117 degrees 38 minutes 40 seconds west.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to ground water is 3 to 6 feet (92 to 183 centimeters), but the soil is not saturated for as long as a month above 39 inches (100 centimeters). The particle size control section averages 10 to 18 percent clay. Gravel content is 0 to 15 percent throughout.

The A horizon has a dry color of 10YR 6/3; 2.5Y 6/2, 6/4, 7/2, or 7/4. Moist color is 10YR 5/4; 2.5Y 5/2, 5/4; 5Y 5/3, 5/4, or 6/4. EC is 4 to 20 and SAR is 50 to 260.

The Btnz horizon has a dry color of 2.5Y 5/4, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4; 5Y 6/2, 6/4, or 7/4. Moist color is 2.5Y 5/4; 5Y 4/3, 4/4, 5/3, 5/4 or 6/3. The soil is stratified and textures are sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or fine sandy loam. EC is 4 to 16. SAR is 20 to 150.

The Cng horizon has a dry color of 2.5Y 5/2, 6/2, 6/4; 5Y 5/2, 5/3, 6/2, 6/4 or 5GY 5/1. Moist color is 2.5Y 5/2; 5Y 4/2, 4/3, 5/3, 5/2; 5GY 4/1 or 5B 4/1. Stratified coarse sand to fine sandy loam. EC is 0.5 to 4. SAR is 5 to 100.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Towerroad soils are on basin floors and playa rims at elevations of 2155 to 2175 feet. They formed in mixed alluvium and lacustrine sediments. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is 3 to 5 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 62 to 66 degrees F. The frost-free period is about 200 to 240 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Alko, Cajon and Typic Haplosalids soils. Alko soils are shallow to a duripan. Cajon soils have a sandy particle size family. Typic Haplosalids have a salic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow runoff; moderately slow
permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for wildlife habitat and military maneuvers. Present vegetation is a sparse cover of Atriplex sp and inland saltgrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern California - Mojave Desert area. This series is of small extent. MLRA 30.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California, 2000. Northeastern Kern Soil Survey.

REMARKS: The name is taken from a local road.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 4 inches. (An horizon)

Cambic horizon - The zone from 4 to about 20 inches. (Btnz, Btnzg1, 2Btnzg2 horizons)

Responsibility for this series was transferred from Davis to Phoenix 12/2015. The last revision to the series was 6/2000. ET

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.