LOCATION TINKER CA

Established Series
Rev. CRM/FOS/DJE
01/2023

TINKER SERIES

The Tinker series consists of moderately deep, well and moderately well drained soils formed in material weathered from glacial deposits. These soils are on lateral and terminal glacial moraines and outwash and have slopes of 2 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 65 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 40 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Andic Dystrudepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Tinker cobbly loam - on a west facing slope of 10 percent under lodgepole pine and red fir at 7,240 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. This soil was described on October 21, 1975.

Oi--0 inch to 1; litter and duff. (1 to 3 inches thick)

A1--1 to 6 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine and fine granular structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles and stones; moderately acid (pH 5.7); gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)

A2--6 to 22 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine, few medium and coarse roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles, 45 percent cobbles and stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)

Bw--22 to 34 inches; reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) very cobbly loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots; common very fine iterstitial pores; 20 percent pebbles, 40 pervent cobbles and stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt wavy boundary. (9 to 16 inches thick)

C1--34 to 46 inches; pale olive (5Y 6/3) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, olive (5Y 4/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots on surface of horizon; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; weakly cemented or compacted; clay or iron coatings on upper surface of horizon; 35 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles and stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 24 inches thick)

C2--46 to 52 inches; yellow (10YR 7/8) very cobbly coarse sandy loam, brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine and medium roots; few very fine and fine interstitial pores; 25 percent pebbles, 25 percent cobbles and stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt irregular boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)

C3--52 to 64 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) extremely cobbly coarse sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; no pores noted; 40 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles and stones; moderately acid (pH 6.0).

TYPE LOCATION: Nevada County, Tahoe National Forest, California; 2 miles northeast of Soda Springs/ 1/8 mile southwest of Boreal Ridge ski area parking lot on sewage line right-of-way, near the center of the SE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 13, T.17 N., R.15 E., MDB&M.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to cemented or compacted layer is from 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 40 to 45 degrees F with the mean summer soil temperature ranging from 48 to 55 degrees F. The soil between the depths of 8 and 33 inches usually is moist in some or all parts between late September and late August and dry in all parts the rest of the time. Organic matter is more than 1 percent to a depth of 20 inches or more. Base saturation is less than 50 percent throughout the profile. Rock fragments range from 15 to 80 percent throughout the profile with the control section averaging more than 35 percent. Reaction is slightly acid or moderately acid throughout the profile.

The A horizon has dry color of 10YR 5/3, 5/2, 4/4, 4/3, 4/2, 3/3 or 3/2 and moist color of 10YR 3/3, 3/2, 2/2, 2/1; and 7.5YR 3/2. It is sandy loam, coarse sandy loam or loam modified by 15 to 60 percent rock fragments. Bulk density ranges from about 0.85 to 1.0. 15 bar water to clay ratio is about 1.25 to 2.0.

The Bw horizon has dry color of 7.5YR 6/6; 10YR 6/4, 6/3, 5/6, 5/4; or 5Y 6/3 and moist color of 7.5YR 5/6; 10YR 5/8, 4/6, 3/4; or 5Y 4/3. It is loam sandy loam or coarse sandy loam modified by 35 to 60 percent rock fragments.

The C1 horizon has dry color of 10YR 7/8, 7/4, 7/3, 6/3, 5/6, 5/4; 7.5YR 6/6; or 5Y 6/3. Some pedons may have many to common, medium to large prominent mottles of 7.5YR 5/8; 2/5YR 4/8 or 4/6. Moist colors are 10YR 6/8, 5/8, 5/4, 4/6, 4/4, 4/3, 3/4; 7.5YR 5/6; and 5Y 4/3. It is coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, heavy sandy loam or loam modified by 35 to 80 percent rock fragments. It is weakly cemented or compacted and very hard or extremely hard when dry in the upper part. The lower part of the C horizon may contain loamy coarse sand and is non-cemented.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Dobbs, Pheeney, Tallac, and Zygore series in other families. Dobbs, Pheeney and Zygore soils have a bulk density in the control section of less than 1.0. Tallac soils are deeper than 40 inches to a pan. In addition they are dry for more than 45 consecutive days.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Tinker soils are on mountains with slopes of 2 to 75 percent. They formed in glacial deposits derived from mixed sources including the Mehrten Formation. Elevations range from 5,500 to 8,600 feet. The climate is humid having a mean annual precipitation of 50 to 80 inches, most of which occurs as snow. Average January temperature is 25 degrees F; average July temperature is 64 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 38 to 46 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 25 to 75 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Tallac and Waca soils. Tallac soils have a weakly cemented pan at depths greater than 40 inches. Waca soils have a xeric moisture regime.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well and moderately well drained; medium to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability above the cemented pan and very slow within the pan. Water accumulates above the pan following periods of snow melt. Permeability below the pan is moderately rapid or rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for limited timber production and grazing. Vegetation is mainly semi-dense stands of conifers, mostly lodgepole pine, red fir and western white pine. Huckleberry oak is the dominant shrub.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The series is moderately extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nevada County (Tahoe National Forest Area), California, 1982.

REMARKS: Tinker soils were formerly proposed as loamy-skeletal, mixed, frigid Duric Haplumbrepts. There is a dense layer which limits water and roots; however, to date its morpholy has not been determined. The lab. data does not support a duripan and the evidence for a fragipan is weak.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.