LOCATION VERJELES                CA

Established Series
Rev. DJL/WBS/TMS/AJT/ET/AJP/JTW
12/2018

VERJELES SERIES

The Verjeles series consists of moderately deep, moderately well drained soils formed in material weathered from intrusive basic igneous rocks, mainly gabbrodiorite. Verjeles soils are on hills and have slopes of 0 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 760 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 16 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, thermic Ultic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Verjeles sandy loam on an east facing, concave, slope of 5 percent under blue oak, live oak, shrubs, and annual grasses and forbs at an elevation of 579 meters. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on August 26, 1985, the soil was dry to 52 cm and slightly moist below.)

Oi--0 to 1 cm; partially decomposed leaves and twigs.

A--1 to 14 cm; brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; massive, hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 10 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 18 cm thick)

Bt1--14 to 29 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores and common fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films lining pores and on ped faces; 10 percent gravel, 3 percent cobbles; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear smooth boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bt2--29 to 52 cm; yellowish red (5YR 4/6) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, fine and medium roots; common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores and few fine interstitial pores; common thin clay films bridging sand grains and few thin clay films lining pores and on ped faces; 10 percent gravel, 3 percent cobbles; concentrated in lower part of horizon, moderately acid (pH 6.0) abrupt smooth boundary. (15 to 28 cm thick)

2Bt1--52 to 80 cm; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) clay, strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and common thick clay films lining pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5) abrupt smooth boundary. (20 to 33 cm thick)

2Bt2--80 to 95 cm; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) mottles, brown (7.5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces; slightly acid (pH 6.5) abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 20 cm thick)

2Cr--95 to 107 cm; pale olive (5Y 6/3) soft weathered gabbrodiorite, olive (5Y 4/3) moist.

TYPE LOCATION: Yuba County, California; about 3 km (1.9 miles) north of Marysville Road on Indiana School Road, then 213 meters (700 feet) south on dirt road; about 2650 feet north and 2950 feet west of the southeast corner Section 30, T.18 N., R.7 E. MDBM. USGS 7.5 minute Topographic Quadrangle: Challenge, CA. WGS84 39.3887711 latitude -121.2293777 longitude. UTM Zone 10 652483 E 4361416 N, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 50 cm ranges from 15 to 18 degrees C and remains above 8 degrees throughout the year. The difference between the mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a xeric moisture regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about June to October. The soils have a xeric moisture regime.

Diagnostic features:
Ochric epipedon thickness: 5 to 26 cm
Argillic horizon thickness: 40 to 70 cm
Depth to paralithic contact: 50 to 100 cm

Particle size control section weighted average:
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent

Reaction is medium acid to slightly acid.

Base saturation by sum of cations is 50 to 75 percent in some part of the upper part of the argillic horizon.

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry; 3 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry; 4 moist
Texture:
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
0 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 3 percent stones

B horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 5YR
Value: 4 dry; 3 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry; 4 moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Clay content: 25 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
0 to 15 percent gravel
0 to 10 percent cobbles
0 to 3 percent stones

2Bt1 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 4 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 6 moist
Texture: clay
Clay content: 40 to 60 percent (15 to 30 percent more than Bt horizon)

2Bt2 horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry; 4 moist
Chroma: 4 to 6 dry; 3 to 6 moist
Texture: clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 40 percent

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Coombs (MLRA 14), Craigsaddle, Flanly, Millvilla, Motherlode, Sierra, Thompsonflat (MLRA 17), Wardsferry, and Yellowlark (MLRA 17) soils. All these soils are well drained. Coombs and Thompsonflat soils do not have a root-restrictive layer in the series control section and formed in mixed alluvium. Craigsaddle soils are 100 to 150 cm to a densic contact. Flanly soils lack clay textures in the upper 2Bt horizon. Millvilla soils are 50 to 100cm to a paralithic contact with metasedimentary rock. Motherlode soils are 100 to 150 centimeters to a lithic contact with metavolcanic rock. Sierra soils are 100 to over 150 centimeters to a paralithic contact. Wardsferry soils are 100 to 150 cm to a paralithic contact with metasedimentary rock. Yellowlark soils are 100 to 150 centimeters to a duripan and formed in mixed alluvium.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Verjeles soils are on footslopes of hills. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. The soils formed in materials from intrusive basic igneous rock, mainly gabbrodiorite. Elevations are 245 to 825 meters. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The average annual precipitation is 505 to 1050 mm. The average January air temperature is 8 degrees C; the average July air temperature is 25 degrees C; mean annual air temperature is 14 to 16 degrees C. The frost-free season is 235 to 270 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Flanly, Mildred, Orose, and Sierra soils. Flanly soils are well drained and occur backslopes. All these soils are well drained. Mildred soils have greater than 35 percent clay in the particle-size control section and are on mountain slopes. Orose soils have a paralithic contact between 25 and 50 cm and occur on shoulders of hills. Sierra soils are 100 to over 150 cm to a paralithic contact and occur on backslopes.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; low to moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity throughout the particle size control section of the soil; saturated hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock is very low to moderately low.

USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are mainly used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, watershed, and homesite development. Natural vegetation is blue oak, interior live oak, California foothill pine and scattered ponderosa pine with an understory of shrubs, and annual grasses and forbs.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Foothills of California; MLRA 18. The series is not extensive.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Yuba County, California, 1992. The source of the name comes from Los Verjeles Road in Yuba County, CA.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 14 cm (Oi and A horizons)
Argillic horizon: 14 to 95 cm (Bt and 2Bt horizons)
Depth to paralithic contact: 95 cm (Cr horizon)

Particle size control section for this pedon: 14 to 64 cm

Verjeles soils were mapped as Argonant soils in the "Soils of the Yuba Area", University of California, Davis, and Yuba County, 1969.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 85CA115008
Pedon purpose: laboratory sampling location
Lab Source ID: SSL
Lab Pedon #: 86P0173

The soil was classified using the 12th edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.