LOCATION WEREWOLF CA

Established Series
Rev: LJL/PBF/CAH/ET
05/2012

WEREWOLF SERIES

The Werewolf series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in mixed alluvium. Werewolf soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 125 millimeters (5 inches) and the mean annual air temperature is about 18 degrees C (64 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplargids

TYPICAL PEDON: On Werewolf-Arizo association, 2 to 8 percent slopes at an elevation of 1,135 meters (3,722 feet). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is covered by approximately 65 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones.

A -- 0 to 8 centimeters (0 to 3 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; 65 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 8 centimeters thick)

Bw -- 8 to 33 centimeters (3 to 13 inches); light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial and few very fine to medium tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (Thickness of a B horizon is 23 to 38 centimeters).

Bt -- 33 to 76 centimeters (13 to 30 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; 30 percent faint clay films on faces of peds and coating sands and gravel; 65 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (41 to 104 centimeters thick)

Btk -- 76 to 152 centimeters (30 to 60 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 1 percent soft carbonate threads; 50 percent distinct clay films on sands and gravel; 90 percent prominent clay films on ped faces; 35 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 4.6 kilometers (2.8 miles) west and 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) north of the southwest corner of sec. 7, T. 16 N., R. 6 E. in a non-sectioned area, San Bernardino Base and Meridian; 35 degrees, 29 minutes and 33 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 26 minutes and 23 seconds west longitude; Red Pass Lake NW USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; UTM 11S 0550827e 3927805n (DTM: NAD83).

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture control section: usually dry, moist in some part for short
periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative
between July and September following convection storms. The soils have
a typic-aridic soil moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 17 to 22 degrees C (63 to 72 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 25 to 85 percent; with 15 to 45 percent fine
gravel, 10 to 45 percent medium and coarse gravel, 0 to 15 percent
cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones.

Control section -
Rock fragments: averages 35 to 85 percent; gravel, cobbles and stones.
Clay content: averages 12 to 18 percent.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Depth to the upper boundary of an argillic horizon: 25 to 50 centimeters
(10 to 20 inches).

A horizon
Value: 4 to 6, dry and 3 or 4, moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand, sandy loam or loam.
Clay content: 3 to 14 percent.
Rock fragments: 2 to 85 percent; with 2 to 80 percent gravel, 0 to
15 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline.

Bw, Bk or Bkq horizons
Value: 5 or 6, dry and 3 to 5, moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam or
loam.
Clay content: 3 to 15 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 50 percent; with 5 to 45 percent gravel, 0 to
10 percent cobbles and 0 to 1 percent stones.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to violently effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonates: 0 to 15 percent as coats on bottom of rock
fragments.
Silica: 0 to 10 percent as coats.

Bt, Btk or Btkq horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 to 5 moist.
Chroma: 4 to 6, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy
loam or loam.
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 25 to 80 percent; with 25 to 70 percent gravel, 0 to
25 percent cobbles and 0 to 1 percent stones.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 1 percent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Visible secondary carbonates: 0 to 15 percent as coats on rock
fragments or 0 to 1 percent threads in the matrix.
Silica: 0 to 10 percent as coats.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashmed (NV), Bitter (CA), Blind (AZ), Bluebird (AZ), Highland (NV), Khyber (CA), Nellake (CA), Soledad (NM), Tiefort (CA), Timosea (CA), Topawa (AZ), Twobitter (CA) and Yuccabutte (CA) series. Ashmed soils have 20 to 35 percent clay with an SAR of 13 to 35 in the argillic horizon. Bitter soils also average more than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon and are dry in the moisture control section from July to September. Blind, Bluebird, Soledad and Topawa soils receive average precipitation of more than 200 millimeters. In addition, Blind and Bluebird soils average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section, and Topawa soils have hues of 5YR and 2.5 YR throughout the Bt horizons. Highland and Tiefort soils have lithic contacts at 75 to 100 centimeters (30 to 40 inches) and 50 to 75 centimeters (20 to 30 inches), respectively, and average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Khyber and Nellake soils are between 8 and 25 centimeters (3 to 10 inches) and 5 to 20 centimeters (2 to 8 inches), respectively, to the top of an argillic horizon. In addition, Khyber soils average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control. Timosea soils also average more than 18 percent clay in the particle-size control section. Twobitter soils have visible gypsum in the argillic horizon and a higher calcium carbonate equivalent through the particle size control section and below. Yuccabutte soils average 18 to 30 percent clay throughout the argillic horizon.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Werewolf soils are on fan remnants. Slopes range from 2 to 15 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium. Elevations are from 620 to 1,220 meters (2,035 to 4,000 feet). The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 175 millimeters (4 to 7 inches); mean annual air temperature is 16 to 20 degrees C. (61 to 68 degrees F.) and the frost-free season is 240 to 320 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Arizo, Goucougs and Pinkcan soils. Arizo soils are on adjacent drainageways and fan aprons and are sandy-skeletal throughout the profile and do not have argillic horizons. Gocougs and Pinkcan soils are on similar landscape positions. Both soils have an argillic horizon with a fine-loamy particle-size control section, but Gocougs are moderately deep to a petrocalcic and Pinkcan soils have a duripan between 100 and 150 centimeters.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; low or medium runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Werewolf soils are used for military exercises, recreation and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly burrobush, range ratany and creosote bush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California. MLRA 30. These soils are of small extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is from a military unit stationed at Fort Irwin, National Training Center.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 8 centimeters (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - from a depth of 33 to 152 centimeters (Bt and Btk
horizons).
Particle-size control section - from a depth of 33 to 83 centimeters (the
Bt horizon and part of the Btk horizon).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.