LOCATION VANGUARD CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, calcareous, thermic Typic Halaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Vanguard sandy loam on a slope of less than 1 percent under a barley crop at 210 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on 3/11/76 barley had not headed out yet and the soil was moist to 36 inches and wet below this depth, water standing was at 36 inches in the pit.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark gray (5Y 4/1) sandy loam, very dark gray (5Y 3/1) moist; weak and moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; few fine tubular and few very fine interstitial pores; EC 22 mmhos, SAR 58; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)
A12--6 to 16 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and very fine tubular with many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; EC 15 mmhos, SAR 30; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 10 inches thick)
C1--16 to 20 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine tubular pores with many very fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; EC 7.5 mmhos; SAR 53; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
IIC2--20 to 28 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine tubular pores with many very fine interstitial pores; EC 5 mmhos, SAR 50; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
IIIAb--28 to 34 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) loam, very dark gray (5Y 3/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many fine and very fine tubular pores; EC 4 mmhos, SAR 38; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 6 inches thick)
IVC3--34 to 60 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) sandy clay loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; many fine distinct olive (5Y 5/4) mottles, olive (5Y 5/6) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; many fine and very fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; EC 3 mmhos, SAR 41; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8).
TYPE LOCATION: Kings County, California; about 1/4 mile south of Grangeville Blvd. and 30 feet west of 24th Avenue, NE1/4 NE1/4 NE1/4 section 27, T.18 S., R.19 E., MDB&M.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil is 60 inches or more in depth. The mean annual soil temperature is 60 degrees to 63 degrees F. Dark colors extend to less than 20 inches. Organic matter is 1 to 2 percent in the surface horizon and decreases irregularly with increasing depth. Calcium carbonate is usually not present in the surface horizon of most pedons. The percent total dissolved solids range from .05 to 2 percent within the upper 40 inches. The soil has a high amount of mica throughout the profile. SAR values vary from 13 to 60 in the upper 20 inches and decrease with depth to values that range from 30 to 50.
The A horizon has dry color of 2.5Y 5/2; 5Y 4/1 or 4/2 and moist color of 2.5Y 3/2; 5Y 3/1 or 2/2. It is sandy loam or loam.
The C horizon has dry color of 2.5Y 6/2, 5/2, 5Y 5/2, or 10YR 5/2 and moist color of 2.5Y 4/2 or 10YR 3/2. It has stratified layers of fine sandy loam, silt loam, and loam and sandy clay loam. Few to common mottles are in the lower part of the C horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alros (T) and Lemoor series in other families. Alros soils have increasing SAR values with increasing depth and a fine-loamy particle-size control section. Lemoor soils have SAR of less than 3 in the upper part and the SAR increases with increasing depth.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vanguard soils are in low flat areas near rivers and sloughs. The soils formed in stratified alluvium from acid igneous rocks. Slopes are 0 to 1 percent. Elevations are 190 to 250 feet. Climate is semiarid and have hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual precipitation varies from 6 to 7 inches. Mean January temperature is 45 degrees F. mean July temperature is 82 degrees F.; and annual temperature is 64 degrees F. Frost-free season is 250 to 260 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gepford, Pitco, and Armona soils. Gepford soils have a fine textured particle-size control section. Pitco soils are noneffervescent. Armona soils have a fine-loamy particle-size section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; very slow runoff; moderate permeability. A perched water table occurs at a depth of 24 to 36 inches January through December. The soil is usually wet during the period of December through February and remains moist below a depth of 8 inches march through November. The soil is subject to rare flooding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used primarily for irrigated cropland to grow barley, sugar beets, and cotton.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: San Joaquin Valley. Series is of moderate extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kings County, California, 1980.