LOCATION TULELAKE CA

Established Series
NHS/DWS/DJE
01/2023

TULELAKE SERIES

The Tulelake series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in lacustrine deposits from mixed sources. Tulelake soils are in reclaimed former lake basin or intermittent lake basins and have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 32 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, nonacid, thermic Aeric Fluvaquents

TYPICAL PEDON: Tulelake silty clay loam - in a reclaimed lake basin of 1 percent slope, in a fallow field at an elevation of 1,323 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 8/4/76 the soil was dry throughout. )

Ap--0 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; few fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

C1--10 to 26 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; few fine distinct and prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles, brown (10YR 4/3) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 16 inches thick)

C2--26 to 30 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; common fine distinct and prominent gray (10YR 6/1) and yellowish red (5YR 5/8) mottles dark gray (N 4/0) and dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; pressure faces on peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 20 inches thick)

2C3--30 to 39 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist, and common, medium, distinct pale brown (10YR 6/3) mottles, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; pressure faces on peds; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 14 inches thick)

2Cca1--39 to 43 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; pressure faces on peds; many slightly effervescent areas of disseminated lime and common strongly effervescent filaments and threads of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

3Cca2--43 to 47 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist, few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate fine, medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; pressure faces on peds; many slightly effervescent areas of disseminated lime and common strongly effervescent filaments and threads of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)

4Cca3--47 to 77 inches; dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay, very dark gray (N 3/0) moist, few, fine, prominent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) mottles, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist, moderate medium and coarse prismatic structure, parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; pressure faces on peds; many slightly effervescent filaments and threads of lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3).

TYPE LOCATION: Lake County, California; about 2 miles southeast of Upper Lake; 1,400 feet south on Reclamation Road from its intersection with Reclamation Cutoff, then 50 feet west of road; 2,800 feet south and 1,200 feet east of the northwest corner of Sec. 20, T. 15 N., R. 9 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil depth is greater than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 degrees to 63 degrees F. A seasonal high water table is present at a depth of 3 feet above ground surface to 3 feet below ground from December through April. During the summer and early fall months the water table drops to a depth of 3 to greater than 6 feet. Distinct or prominent mottles occur throughout the profile. Organic matter content is 1 to 3 percent in the upper 8 inches of the profile and is less than 1 percent below 10 inches. Organic matter content decreases irregularly with increasing depth. The particle-size control section averages 35 to 50 percent clay.

The A horizon is 10YR 4/2, 5/2, 6/2, or 2.5Y 4/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 4/1, 5/1, or 2.5Y 4/2. Reaction is medium acid or slightly acid.

The C horizon is 10YR 4/1, 5/1, 5/2, 6/1, 6/2, or 2.5Y 4/2. Moist color is N 3/0; 10YR 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, or 2.5Y 4/4. The upper part of the C horizon to a depth of 20 inches has a moist chroma of 0, 1, or 2. Moist chroma of 2, 3, or 4 occur in some subhorizon between 20 and 30 inches. It is stratified silty clay loam, clay loam, silty clay or clay. Reaction is slightly acid to moderately alkaline. The lower part of the C horizon is calcareous in most but not all pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: There are no series in the same family.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tulelake soils are in intermittent lake basins and in reclaimed former lake basins. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in lacustrine deposits from mixed sources. Elevation is 1,300 to 1,400 feet. The average annual precipitation is 25 to 40 inches. Mean January temperature is about 43 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 68 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 55 degrees to 59 degrees F. Frost-free season is 150 to 210 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Lupoyoma and Still soils. Lupoyoma soils are fine-silty and have Xeric moisture regimes. Still soils are fine-loamy, and have Xeric moisture regimes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; ponded or very slow runoff; slow permeability. In unprotected areas Tulelake soils are subject to frequent periods of flooding of 1 week to 2 months duration in winter and early spring. A seasonal high water table is present at a depth of 3 feet above ground to 3 feet below ground from December through April. During the growing season the water table drops to a depth of 3 to greater than 6 feet.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used mainly for hay and pasture and for field crops including sunflower, safflower, milo and wild rice. Natural vegetation is areas not cultivated is annual grasses and forbs and water tolerant plants.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: In the Clear Lake Basin, Lake County, California. The series is not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lake County, California 1983.

OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 3/84.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.