LOCATION WELPORT CA

Tentative Series
Rev. KJO/BRY/KDA/KP/MRS
12/2022

WELPORT SERIES

The Welport series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in uplifted alluvium derived from calcareous sandstone and/or shale. The Welport soils are on hillslopes. Slope is 5 to 15 percent . The mean annual precipitation is about 178 mm (7 in) and the mean annual temperature is about 17 degrees C (63 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic, shallow Typic Petrocalcids

TYPICAL PEDON: Welport loam, on a south-facing 12 percent slope under heavily grazed annual grasses and filaree at an elevation of 587 meters (1,925 feet). [Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on February 22, 1990, the soil was slightly moist from a depth of 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in).]

A1--0 to 8 cm (0 to 3 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 9 percent clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; carbonates disseminated; 10 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.7); clear wavy boundary.

A2--8 to 23 cm (3 to 9 in); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 9 percent clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; violently effervescent; carbonates disseminated; 10 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary.

Bw--23 to 30 cm (9 to 12 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; 7 percent clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; violently effervescent; carbonates disseminated; 10 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary.

Bkqm--30 to 94 cm (12 to 37 in); at the upper boundary, a 0.5 to 1 cm (0.25 to 0.5 in) thick, light gray (10YR 7/2) laminar cap strongly cemented by carbonates and silica, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; calcium carbonate equivalent of 22 percent; below the petrocalcic cap, very pale brown (10YR 8/2) material weakly cemented by carbonates and silica, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) moist; massive; very hard; abrupt wavy boundary.

2C--94 to 152 cm (37 to 60 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly sandy loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; 7 percent clay; massive; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; no roots; common very fine interstitial pores; calcium carbonate equivalent of 18 percent; violently effervescent; carbonates disseminated; 20 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; strongly alkaline (pH 8.5).

TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California, Southwest Part; in map unit 550, Elkhills-Welport association, 9 to 30 percent slopes; about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Taft; 730 meters (2,390 feet) north and 365 meters (1,200 feet) east of the southwest corner of section 17, T. 31 S., R. 22 E.; Mount Diablo Base and Meridian; latitude 34 degrees, 13 minutes, 52 seconds north and longitude 119 degrees, 38 minutes, 15 seconds west; USGS Panorama Hills, California, Quadrangle, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil temperature: Average annual is 17 to 19 degrees C (62 to 67 degrees F) and the soil temperature is never below 8 degrees C (47 degrees F). The soils have a thermic temperature regime.

Soil moisture: The soils have an aridic soil moisture regime. The soil moisture control section is dry throughout from mid-April to mid-December and is never moist more than 90 consecutive days.

Diagnostic feature(s):
Ochric epipedon thickness: 10 to 25 cm
Petrocalcic horizon thickness: 50 to 100 cm
Depth to petrocalcic horizon: 30 to 50 cm

Particle size control section weighted average:
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel
Clay content: 5 to 18 percent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

Surface fragments: 5 to 20 percent sedimentary gravel.

A horizons:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam
Content of clay: 5 to 18 percent
Content of organic matter: 0.5 to 3 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Content of rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel

Bw horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam
Content of clay: 5 to 18 percent
Content of organic matter: 0.05 to 0.3 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 1 to 5 percent
Content of rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent gravel

Bkqm horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 2 to 6, dry or moist
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 15 to 30 percent

2C horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sandy loam
Content of clay: 5 to 18 percent
Content of organic matter: 0.01 to 0.1 percent
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 10 to 25 percent
Content of rock fragments: 15 to 45 percent
10 to 30 percent gravel
5 to 15 percent cobbles

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cave, Goodsprings, Irongold, Simona, and Vace series. All these series lack a silica cemented laminar cap on top of the petrocalcic horizon. Cave (MLRA 40, 41, and 42) soils have a hue of 10YR or 7.5YR in both the A and B horizons, and receive summer monsoonal precipitation. Goodsprings (MLRA 30) soils have a hue of 7.5YR or 5YR in the Bk and Bkm horizons and do not have an indurated petrocalcic horizon. Irongold (MLRA 30) soils are on limestone alluvium on fan remnants. Simona (MLRA 42, 77C, and 77D) soils are on upland plains, mesa tops, and low ridges, have hues of 5YR to 10YR throughout, and have less than 15 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section. Vace (MLRA 30) soils formed from calcareous loess and mixed alluvium and are on fan remnants and ballenas. Goodsprings, Irongold, and Vace soils (MLRA 30) are in the Mojave Desert with frost free seasons of as low as 180 days and are usually moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Welport soils are on shoulders of hillslopes at elevations of 231 to 687 meters (755 to 2,250 feet). The Welport soils formed in uplifted alluvium derived from calcareous sandstone and/or shale. Slope is 5 to 15 percent . The mean annual precipitation is 152 to 203 mm (6 to 8 in) and the mean annual temperature is 16 to 18 degrees C. (60 to 64 degrees F.). The frost free season is 240 to 300 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cochora, Elkhills, Hillbrick, Kimberlina, and Pyxo soils. Cochora soils formed in sedimentary residuum on linear backslopes of hillslopes and have a paralithic contact within 50cm. Elkhills soils are on linear backslopes of hillslopes and formed in very deep alluvium. Hillbrick soils have a lithic contact within 50 cm and formed in sandstone and shale residuum on hillslopes. Kimberlina soils are on alluvial fans and formed in very deep alluvium. Pyxo soils formed in sandstone and shale residuum on linear backslopes of hillslopes and have a paralithic contact between 50 and 100 cm.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used for grazing, wildlife habitat, and oil production. The vegetation is mainly fillaree and annual grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Signal Hills, Temblor Range, and Telephone Hills along the border of Kern and San Luis Obispo Counties (MLRA 15). This soil is not extensive.

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

SERIES PROPOSED: Kern County, California, 2008; Kern County Southwest Part Soil Survey.

REMARKS:
Particle Size Control Section for this pedon: 0 to 30 cm.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon 0 to 23 cm
Petrocalcic horizon 30 to 94 cm

ADDITIONAL DATA: Primary characterization data in the vicinity of this typical profile pedon number 93P0298, site ID 92CA029005.

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

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.