LOCATION VANSICKLE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic, shallow Abruptic Argiduridic Durixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vansickle very cobbly loam - on a south facing slope of 14 percent under a cover of low sagebrush, at 4400 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless stated otherwise. When described on November 8, 1979 the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 1 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; 10 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles, 10 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bt1--1 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) very cobbly clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many thin clay films in bridges between mineral grains and few clay films on peds; 40 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--6 to 11 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very cobbly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine interstitial pores; many thin clay films in bridges between mineral grains and on peds; 45 percent cobbles; slightly acid(pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
Bt3--11 to 13 inches; dark reddish gray (5YR 4/2) very cobbly clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure; extremely hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common moderately thick clay films on peds; 40 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.2); abrupt wavy boundary. (2 to 5 inches thick)
Bqm--13 to 14 inches; weathered duripan with opalized silica capping covering greater than 50 percent of the underlying bedrock. (1 to 10 inches thick)
2R--14 inches; basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Lassen County, California; about 1.5 miles north east if Little Valley, 0.75 miles north of the railroad crossing on the road to Clark Valley, 400 feet north of the road on a bench above Sunflower flat; 1,800 feet east and 2,200 feet north of the southwest corner sec. 33, T. 36 N., R. 7 E., Little Valley NW (Little Valley) quadrangle (7.5 minute series).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick and includes all or part of the Bt horizon. Depth to duripan ranges from 10 to 20 inches. Depth to bedrock is 11 to 30 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. The soil temperature is above 41 degrees F.from early March to early December (275 days) and is above 47 degrees F. from early April until mid November (220 days). The soil moisture control section (4 to 13 inches) is moist throughout from mid December until mid April (120 days) and is dry throughout from mid June until early November (140 to 160 days). Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.
The A horizon color is 10YR 4/2 or 5/3. Textures are very cobbly loam or extremely stony loam. Rock fragments, mostly cobbles and stones, range from 35 to 60 percent.
The Bt horizon color is 5YR 4/2; 7.5YR 4/2, 4/4, or 5/4. Moist color is 7.5YR 3/2; 5YR 3/3, 3/4 or 4/3. Rock fragments, mostly cobbles and gravel, range from 35 to 60 percent. The upper part has 35 to 40 percent clay and the lower part has 40 to 60 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in this family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vansickle soils are on plateaus. Slope is 2 to 15 percent. The soils formed in alluvium over basalt or has tuff. Elevations are 4000 to 5700 feet. Mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches. Snow fall is 12 to 24 inches. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. Frost-free season is 50 to 110 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Jellycamp (T), Lassen, and Longcreek soils. Jellycamp soils have a clayey control section. Lassen soils have a fine textured control section, are moderately deep and are found in depressional areas. Longcreek soils have a lithic contact and are found on ridges.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; slow or medium runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for range. Present vegetation includes Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass and low sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. This series is not extensive. Source of name is from VanSickle Lake. MLRA is 21.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lassen County, California. Intermountain Soil Survey Area, 1994.
REMARKS: Series reclassified on September, 1994. Competing series not reviewed at that time.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - 0 to 13 inches (A, Bt1, Bt2, Bt3).
Argillic horizon - 1 to 13 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3).
Mineralogy - dominantly montmorillonitic with a small amount of halloysite.
Duripan - 13 to 14 inches (Bqm horizon).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Samples of the A and Bt2 were analyzed by BLM for clay mineral analysis and the dominant clay fraction was montmorillonitic with a small about of halloysite.