LOCATION WAUKENA CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Natrixeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Waukena fine sandy loam - pasture (Colors for dry conditions unless otherwise noted)
A1--0 to 1 inches; light gray (10YR 6/1) fine sandy loam, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic and slightly sticky; numerous fine vesicular pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 2 inches thick).
A2--1 to 10 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) fine sandy loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly plastic and slightly sticky; numerous fine roots; numerous fine pores; mildly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick).
Bt & A2--10 to 18 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; strong medium and coarse columnar structure with distinct gray (10YR 5/1) coatings on the rounded caps and fingering down the columns; very hard, very firm, plastic and sticky; thin continuous clay films on ped faces; roots are mainly between the columns; few very fine pores; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.3), slightly calcareous; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick).
Btk1--18 to 27 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy clay loam; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, plastic and sticky; thin continuous clay films on ped faces; very few roots, confined mostly to structural surfaces; few very fine pores; very strongly alkaline (pH 10.0); moderately calcareous; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick).
Btk2--27 to 39 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) sandy clay loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, plastic and sticky; thin patchy clay films on ped faces; very few fine roots; very few very fine pores; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.9); moderately calcareous with some hard nodules up to 1/2 inch in diameter; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick).
C--39 to 60 inches +; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) to light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) stratified fine sandy loam and clay loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; hard, firm to friable; very few fine roots, very few very fine pores; very strongly alkaline (pH 9.6); slightly calcareous, the lime mostly disseminated.
TYPE LOCATION: Merced County, California; 2 miles south and 1 mile west of Stevinson in channel cut of San Joaquin River, section 20, T. 7 S., R. 10 E. on slopes of 0 to 1 percent with a mound microrelief under salt-tolerant grasses.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils have ochric epipedons and natric horizons. They are usually moist but dry for 60 consecutive days in the summer. The mean annual soil temperature is 59 degrees to 72 degrees F. The mineralogy is mixed. The solum is 24 to 44 inches thick. The soils very in content of salts, alkali and lime, with the lime usually decreasing with depth. The soils may have a thin salt crust, 1/4 to 1 inch thick, grayish brown to white in color, which may be massive, vesicular or platy. The A horizons range in color from gray to light gray and light brownish gray in 10YR, 2.5Y and 5Y hues with values of 4 to 7 and chromas of 1 and 2 and N 5/ to N 7/; in reaction from neutral to strongly alkaline and sometimes calcareous; in texture from fine sandy loam to clay loam. Structure is usually massive but may be weak or medium blocky or platy. Consistence is slightly hard or hard. The Bt1 horizon ranges in color from gray to grayish brown, dark brown to olive brown to olive and olive gray in 2.5Y and 5Y hues with values of 4 and 5 and chromas of 2 to 4; in texture from heavy loam, sandy clay loam to silty clay loam; in reaction from moderately to very strongly alkaline. The Btk horizons are calcareous with variable amounts of segregated and disseminated lime. Structure is strong columnar to medium or strong prismatic in the upper Bt becoming blocky in the lower part. The consistence is hard to extremely hard. The C horizons are stratified, with medium, moderately coarse and coarse textures, usually becoming lighter in texture with depth. They become less alkaline and calcareous with depth. They may have medium to large lime concretions.
COMPETING SERIES: In the same family is the Solano series. Solano soils have medium acid A horizons and medium acid upper Bt horizons which become calcareous with depth. Similar soils in a fine family are Orestimba which have clay Bt horizons. Similar series in other orders are Hacienda, Pond, and Rossi. Hacienda and Pond soils are usually dry. Rossi soils have mollic epipedons and are poorly drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Waukena soils occur on nearly level basin-like areas in valley plains with slightly irregular or hummocky surface. They occur at elevations of less than 600 feet, in a semiarid, mesothermal climate with mean annual rainfall of 8 to 12 inches, with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual temperature is about 60 degrees to 63 degrees F., average January temperature 45 degrees F., and average July temperature about 82 degrees F. Frost-free season averages about 250 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Fresno, Rossi, Traver, Grangeville, Chino and Foster soils. The Fresno and Grangeville soils occur above or on the basin rim. The other soils occur in similar position as the Waukena.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well to somewhat poorly drained with slow to very slow permeability and slow runoff.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used mainly for pasture. Vegetation consists of salt and alkali tolerant grasses and weeds.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central San Joaquin Valley and intermountain valleys of southern California. The soils are moderately extensive in MLRA 17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Visalia Area, Tulare County, California, 1935. (Source of name is town of Waukena, southwest of Tulare).
REMARKS: The soils were formerly classified in the Solonetz group.
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 7/67.