LOCATION VEGASGLOW               CA

Established Series
IRD: EEM/GMW/LJL
02/2025

VEGASGLOW SERIES

The Vegasglow series consists of very shallow and shallow, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in residuum and/or colluvium derived from mixed igneous. The Vegasglow soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 50 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 260 mm, and the mean annual temperature is about 15 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Lithic Ustic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: Vegasglow very gravelly sandy loam, on a south facing, 32 percent slope under rangeland at an elevation of 1345 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. 2/6/2013 actual site observation date.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 10 percent fine gravel, 60 percent medium and coarse gravel, 8 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones.

A--0 to 5 cm (0 to 2 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4), moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common fine irregular and common medium irregular pores; 10 percent fine gravel, 30 percent medium and coarse gravel, 2 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones; neutral (pH 7.2); clear wavy boundary. (2 to 7 cm thick)

Bt--5 to 24 cm (2 to 9 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4), moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common fine roots throughout and common medium roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common fine irregular and common medium irregular pores; 10 percent distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, clay films on all faces of peds and 15 percent distinct strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, clay bridges between sand grains and 80 percent prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6), moist, clay films on rock fragments; 15 percent fine gravel, 30 percent medium and coarse gravel, 9 percent cobbles, 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt irregular boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

R--24 to 49 cm (9 to 19 inches); indurated gneiss bedrock (fractures 10 to 45 cm apart).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; located in the New York Mountains 10 miles south of Nipton, California; approximately 1280 feet north and 2165 feet east of the southwest corner of section 3, T. 14 N., R. 16 E., San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian; USGS Castle Peaks, California 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 35 degrees, 19 minutes, 11.76 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 14 minutes, 55.87 seconds west longitude; UTM zone 11 659179e, 3909931n, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in some part from December to March and intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days during July to September following summer convection storms; aridic moisture regime that borders on ustic.

Soil temperature: 15 to 19 degrees C (59 to 66 degrees F).
Depth to argillic horizon: 2 to 7 centimeters.
Depth to bedrock: 14 to 36 centimeters.

Control section
Rock fragments: 35 to 60 percent, dominantly gravel.
Clay content: averages 12 to 25 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist.
Clay content: 7 to 14 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 60 percent, with 10 to 50 percent gravel, 0 to 20 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bt or Btk horizon(s)
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 6 dry, 2 to 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loam or clay loam.
Clay content: 15 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 60 percent, ranges from 15 to 70 percent with 15 to 55 percent gravel, 0 to 25 percent cobbles and 0 to 5 percent stones.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalence of the fine earth fraction: 0 to 5 percent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonate coats: Some pedons have 10 to 50 percent calcium carbonate coats on bottoms of rock fragments.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Pantak series. Pantak soils have 20 to 25 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are moist for greater than 20 days cumulative between July and September.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Vegasglow soils are on hills and mountains. Slopes range from 15 to 50 percent. The soils formed in residuum and/or colluvium derived from mixed igneous. Elevation ranges from 1040 to 1590 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 250 mm. The mean annual air temperature is about 13 to 17 degrees C. The frost-free period is 210 to 270 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Parched (T) and Lecyr (T) soils. Parched soils are on volcanic hills, are very deep, and have less than 35 percent rock fragments. Lecyr are on fan remnants and ballenas, and are moderately deep to a petrocalcic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: somewhat excessively drained; very high runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity above the bedrock and low saturated hydraulic conductivity within the bedrock.

USE AND VEGETATION: Vegasglow soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is big galleta, black grama, California buckwheat, and blackbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Basin and Range of California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. The series is of moderate extent.

SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California, Soil Survey of Mojave National Preserve Area, California, 2022. The name is coined.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 5 cm. (A horizon)
Argillic horizon - the zone from 5 to 24 cm. (Bt horizon)
Lithic contact - the zone from 24 to 49 cm. (R horizon)
Particle size control section - the zone from 0 to 24 cm. (A and Bt horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: NASIS User/Pedon Site ID: 2013CA0711035.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.