LOCATION VERNADO CA
Established Series
Rev: PGN/KDA/CEJ
01/2023
VERNADO SERIES
The Vernado series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils on escarpments on mountain slopes of mountains. These soils formed in material weathered from marine sandstone. Slope is 40 to 65 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 15 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Vernado sandy loam-on a north facing slope of 44 percent under soft chess, wild oat, pine bluegrass, foothill pine, blue oak, and narrowleaf goldenbush. The elevation is 2,520 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described, May 21, 1984, the soil was slightly moist below 6 inches.)
A1--0 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common medium fine tubular and many very fine, fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary.
A2--6 to 13 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine, fine and common medium, coarse roots; common fine, medium tubular and many very fine, fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
A3--13 to 22 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and common fine, medium, coarse roots; few medium, common fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.2); clear smooth boundary. (combined A horizon thickness is 20 to 25 inches)
C/R--22 to 29 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine and common fine, medium, coarse, very coarse roots; roots flattened out on top; few medium, common fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; 50 percent interlaced sandstone rock; neutral (pH 7.3); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)
R--29 to 32 inches; unweathered sandstone.
TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California; approximately 5.25 miles west southwest of Lillis Ranch, 2,800 feet south of Cantua Creek; approximately 2,220 feet directly east of the northwest section corner of section 9, T. 18 S., R. 13 E., MDB&M; Latitude 36 degrees, 23 minutes, 06 seconds north and Longitude 120 degrees, 33 minutes, 47 seconds west; USGS Ciervo Mountain Topographic Quadrangle, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to a lithic contact of sandstone is 25 to 35 inches. The moisture control section of 8 to 23 inches is moist from December 1 to June 1 and dry from July 1 to September 15 in most years. The soil temperature is above 47 degrees F from April 15 to October 15. The mean annual soil temperature is 56 to 58 degrees F.
The A horizon has color of 5YR 5/4; 7.5YR 4/2, 5/2, 5/3 or 5/4. Moist color is 5YR 3/3 or 7.5YR 3/2. Organic matter content is 1 to 3 percent. Clay content is 14 to 20 percent. Gravel content is 0 to 3 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The C/R horizon has color of 5YR 5/4 or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 5YR 3/3; 7.5YR 3/2 or 3/4. Organic matter content is 1 to 2 percent. Clay content is 15 to 20 percent. Gravel content is 0 to 3 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral. Reaction becomes less acid with depth.
The R horizon has 0.5 to 1.5 inch cracks in hard sandstone, 10 to 25 inches apart.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Central Point,
Doublecreek and
Edmundston series. Central Point soils (MLRA 5), on low stream terraces and alluvial fans, are very deep, have B horizons and have 10YR color hues. Doublecreek soils (MLRA 9, 43), on toe slopes of canyons, are very deep, have B horizons and have 10YR color hues. Edmundston soils (MLRA 18, 22, 29), on mountainous uplands, are 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact of weathered granitic rock or granite-gneiss, have a B horizon and 10YR color hues.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vernado soils are on escarpments on mountain slopes of mountains. Slope is 40 to 65 percent. Elevation is 1,640 to 4,850 feet. The soils have formed in material weathered from marine sandstones. The climate is subhumid with hot dry summers and cool moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is about 13 to 24 inches. Mean January temperature is 46 degrees F; mean July temperature is 80 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 55 to 61 degrees F. The frost-free season is 180 to 220 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Atravesada,
Domengine,
Getrail,
Grazer, and
Lilten. Atravesada soils, on mountains, are 10 to 20 inches deep to a paralithic contact of soft serpentine and have an argillic horizon. Domengine soils, on mountains, are 20 to 40 inches to a paralithic contact and have segregated carbonates and effervescence in the lower part. Getrail soils, on mountains, are 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact and have a fine particle-size control section. Grazer soils, on mountains, have a fine particle-size control section, an argillic horizon and a thermic soil temperature regime. Lilten soils, on mountains, are 40 to 60 inches to a paralithic contact, have a fine particle-size control section and a thermic soil temperature regime.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The vegetation is soft chess, wild oat, pine bluegrass, foothill pine, blue oak, and narrowleaf goldenbush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Diablo Range, near Cantua Creek in the California Coast Ranges. They are not extensive. MLRA 15.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fresno County, California, 2002. Named after Arroyo Vernado.
REMARKS: These soils were formerly mapped as Rockland in the unpublished report, Soil Survey of Western Fresno, 1967.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.