LOCATION WALLYHILL CA

Established Series
DWB/JBB/TKK/JW
08/2022

WALLYHILL SERIES

The Wallyhill series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils formed in residuum weathered from schist. The Wallyhill soils are on high hills and mountain slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 930 mm and the mean annual air temperature is about 14 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic Ultic Haploxeralfs

TYPICAL PEDON: Wallyhill loam on a northwest-facing, 20 percent convex slope under ponderosa pine, California black oak and whiteleaf manzanita at an elevation of 799 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. When described on May 15, 2015 the soil was slightly moist throughout.)

Oi--0 to 2 cm; slightly decomposed plant material, black (7.5YR 2.5/1) moist; very strongly acid (pH 4.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 5 cm thick)

A--2 to 12 cm; loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; 14 percent clay; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; common very fine irregular pores; 4 percent subrounded very strongly cemented schist gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 15 cm thick)

BA--12 to 24 cm; loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) moist; 18 percent clay; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium, coarse and very coarse roots throughout; common very fine irregular and very fine tubular pores; 6 percent subrounded strongly cemented schist gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.3); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 20 cm thick)

Bt1--24 to 43 cm; loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine, fine, medium and coarse roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; 10 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 1 percent subangular very strongly cemented schist cobbles; 8 percent subrounded moderately cemented schist paragravel; moderately acid (pH 5.6); clear smooth boundary. (10 to 30 cm thick)

Bt2--43 to 65 cm; paragravelly clay loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; 30 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, friable, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine and few fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; 15 percent distinct clay films on all faces of peds; 15 percent subangular weakly cemented schist paragravel; strongly acid (pH 5.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (30 to 60 cm thick)

Crt--65 to 70 cm; moderately cemented schist bedrock, fractured at intervals of 10 to 45 cm; few fine roots top of horizon; 25 percent prominent clay films along bedrock fractures.

TYPE LOCATION: Calaveras County, California, about 90 m north of Jesus Maria Rd, USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle: Rail Road Flat, California; WGS84 38.283606 latitude and -120.548886 longitude; UTM Zone 10 714385 meters E 4240128 meters N NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature: The mean annual soil temperature at 50 cm is 12 to 15 degrees C and the difference between mean summer and mean winter soil temperature is greater than 6 degrees C. The soils have a mesic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from about July to October (about 90 days). The soils have a xeric soil moisture regime.

Diagnostic Feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 5 to 30 cm
Argillic horizon thickness: 30 to 70 cm
Depth to paralithic contact: 50 to 100 cm

Reaction: strongly acid to slightly acid

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, with 0 to 10 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
Clay content: averages 22 to 32 percent clay
Base saturation: 35 to 50 percent in one or more subhorizons of the argillic horizon (by sum of cations).

A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Texture: loam, fine sandy loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 10 to 20 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
0 to 5 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent channers

BA horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture: loam, sandy loam
Clay content: 12 to 22 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 10 percent
0 to 5 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles

Bt1 horizon
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6 dry, 3 to 6 moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Clay content: 15 to 30 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
0 to 10 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
0 to 5 percent channers
Pararock fragments: 0 to 15 percent paragravel

Lower Bt horizons (Bt2 and Bt3 horizons, where present)
Hue: 5YR, 7.5YR, 10YR
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 3 to 6, dry or moist
Texture: loam, clay loam
Clay content: 20 to 35 percent
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent
0 to 10 percent gravel
0 to 5 percent cobbles
Pararock fragments: 0 to 15 percent paragravel
0 to 10 percent parachanners

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Holland, and Musick soils. Holland and Musick soils formed on granitic parent materials and are very deep.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Wallyhill soils are on high hills and mountain slopes. Slopes range from 3 to 60 percent. These soils formed in colluvium over residuum weathered from schist. Elevation is 330 to 1240 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 760 to 1260 mm and the mean annual air temperature is 12 to 15 degrees C. The frost free season is 175 to 280 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arpatutu, Fricot, and Nedsgulch soils. The Arpatutu soils are on shoulders of mountain slopes and are loamy-skeletal. The Fricot soils are on ridges and summits of hills and are shallow to a paralithic contact. The Nedsgulch soils are on backslopes of mountain slopes, are very deep, and do not have a decrease in clay content of more than 20% throughout the argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity from 0 to 78 cm, low saturated hydraulic conductivity below 78 cm.

USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for recreation, homesite development, wildlife habitat, and watershed. Some areas have been cleared of the native vegetation and are used for livestock grazing. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine, California black oak, whiteleaf manzanita. toyon, Pacific poison oak, interior live oak, buckbrush, chamise, squirreltail, dogtail grass and some California foothill pine and blue oak. Vegetation in cleared areas includes foxtail, red brome, brodia, ripgut brome, California stickseed, softchess, medusahead and filaree.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Sierra Nevada Mountains of California; MLRA 22A. The soils are moderately extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Calaveras County, California. Source of name from Wally Hill in Calaveras County.

REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric Epipedon 0 to 24 cm
Argillic Horizon 24 to 65 cm
Paralithic Contact 65 cm
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 24 to 65 cm.

ADDITIONAL DATA:
NASIS User Pedon ID: 2015CA6303040

Soil classified using the 12th Edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.