LOCATION WETBAG                  CA

Established Series
Rev. EWB-JVC
06/2017

WETBAG SERIES

The Wetbag series consists of very deep, poorly drained and very poorly drained soils that formed in alluvium derived from tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite. Wetbag soils are on fan remnants and low stream terraces. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 510 mm inches and the mean annual temperature is about 5.6 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic Vertic Cryaquolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Wetbag peaty silt loam--rangeland. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 5 cm; very dark brown (10YR 2/2) peaty silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) dry; moderate fine granular structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; many very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 15 cm; black (10YR 2/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; many very fine, common fine and medium roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; common fine faint very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) irregular zones of iron depletion and common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) irregular masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 15 cm thick)

Btg--15 to 38 cm; very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1) clay, gray (2.5Y 5/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine, many fine and medium roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few faint clay films lining pores; few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) irregular masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (18 to 30 cm thick)

Btssg1--38 to 66 cm; 60 percent black (N 2.5/) and 40 percent dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) clay, 60 percent dark gray (N 4/) and 40 percent gray (2.5Y 6/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine through medium roots; many very fine and common fine tubular pores; few slickensides; few faint clay films lining pores; few fine prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) irregular masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (20 to 43 cm thick)

Btssg2--66 to 117 cm; 75 percent dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and 25 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) clay, 75 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) and 25 percent gray (2.5Y 6/1) dry; moderate fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; few slickensides; common pressure cutans on faces of peds and few faint clay films lining pores; common fine and medium prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) irregular masses of iron accumulation in the matrix and few fine prominent pale green (5G 6/2) irregular zones of iron depletion in the matrix; 2 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear wavy boundary. (30 to 66 cm thick)

B'tg--117 to 152 cm; 60 percent dark gray (2.5Y 4/1) and 40 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay, 60 percent gray (2.5Y 5/1) and 40 percent light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak fine and medium angular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common pressure cutans on faces of peds; common fine prominent greenish gray (5G 6/1) and few fine black (N 2.5/0) irregular zones of iron depletion within the matrix; areas with dark yellowish brown color are very coarse irregular masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8).

TYPE LOCATION: Alpine County, California; on the Toiyabe National Forest in Bagley Valley about 1.5 miles south of Heenan Lake; approximately 350 feet north and 1,500 feet west of the southeast corner of section 15, T. 9 N., R. 21 E.; USGS Heenan Lake 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 37 minutes 14.5 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 39 minutes 15.0 seconds west longitude; WGS84 Decimal Degrees 38.6206944 latitude, -119.6541667 longitude.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually saturated in some part of the moisture control section during winter, spring, and early summer, usually dry in some part summer and fall; seasonal periods of aquic moisture regime from November through June during saturation with ground water and anaerobic conditions; Aquic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 6.7 to 8.3 degrees C.
Mean summer soil temperature: 12.7 to 15 degrees C.
Mollic epipedon thickness: 50 to 100 cm.
Depth to seasonal aquic conditions: 0 to 50 cm.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 50 percent
Rock fragments: Averages 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite.

A1 horizon
Hue: 10YR or neutral (N).
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 0 (if hue is Neutral) through 2, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 10 to 15 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron or manganese accumulation in the matrix; redox depletions may occur as zones of iron or manganese removal in the matrix.

A2 horizon
Hue: 10YR or neutral (N).
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 3 or 4 dry.
Chroma: 0 (if hue is Neutral) through 2, moist or dry.
Organic matter content: 5 to 8 percent.

Btg horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or neutral (N).
Value: 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry.
Chroma: 0 (if hue is Neutral) through 2, moist or dry.
Texture: Clay or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, dominantly gravel.
Organic matter content: 2 to 4 percent.

Btssg1 horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or neutral (N).
Value: 2 through 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry.
Chroma: 0 (if hue is Neutral) through 2, moist or dry.
Texture: Clay or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, dominantly gravel.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron or manganese accumulation in the matrix; redox depletions may occur as zones of iron or manganese removal in the matrix.


Btssg2 and B'tg horizons
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or neutral (N).
Value: 2 through 4 moist, 4 through 6 dry.
Chroma: 0 (if hue is Neutral) through 2, moist or dry.
Texture: Clay or clay loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, dominantly gravel.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur as masses of iron or manganese accumulation in the matrix; redox depletions may occur as zones of iron or manganese removal in the matrix.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Egeria, Railway, and Silvies series.

Egeria soils do not have argillic horizons, do not have horizons with slickensides, and have mean annual soil temperature of 2.2 to 4.4 degrees C. Railway soils do not have argillic horizons, have mean summer soil temperatures that are less than 12.7 degrees C. and have a perched water table in the upper part of the profile. Silvies soils do not have argillic horizons, do not have horizons with slickensides, and are influenced by volcanic ash.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wetbag soils are on fan remnants and low stream terraces. They formed in alluvium derived from altered tuff, tuff-breccia, and andesite. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 1,830 to 2,135 meters. The climate is subhumid-continental with cold, moist winters and cool, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 400 to 600 mm, mean annual temperature is 4 to 7 degrees C, and the frost-free period is 40 to 70 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bagval, Heenlake, and Loope soils. These soils have a xeric moisture regime. In addition, Heenlake soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts and Loope soils are shallow to lithic contacts.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Poorly drained and very poorly drained; very high surface runoff; very slow permeability; low saturated hydraulic conductivity. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between the soil surface and 50 cm (very shallow or shallow free water occurrence classes) from November through June. Cumulative annual duration classes are Common or Persistent. Some areas of these soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between December and June.

USE AND VEGETATION: Wetbag soils are used for rangeland, recreation, watershed, and wildlife habitat. The native vegetation is mainly rushes and sedges.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. These soils are not extensive with about 70 acres of the series mapped to date. MLRAs 22A and 26.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alpine County (Toiyabe National Forest Area), California, 2006.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 66 cm (A1, A2, Btg, and Btssg1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 15 to 152 cm (Btg, Btssg1, Btssg2, and B'tg horizons).
Slickensides - The zone from 38 to 117 cm (Btssg1 and Btssg2 horizons).
Aquic conditions - The conditions of endosaturation and reduction in horizons between the soil surface and 152 cm at certain times in normal years (A1, A2, Btg, Btssg1, Btssg2, and B'tg horizons).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 15 to 55 cm (Btg and Btssg1 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.