LOCATION WHITECABIN CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aquic Haploxererts
TYPICAL PEDON: Whitecabin silty clay on a 1 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses at an elevation of 101 feet, (31 m). When described on 5/10/95 the soil was slightly moist to 24 inches, (61 cm) and moist from 24 to 53 inches, (61 to 135 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted)
Ap--0 to 5 inches, (0 to 13 cm); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 43 percent clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure parting to strong fine granular; extremely hard, firm, slightly sticky and very plastic; common fine, few very fine, and few medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; common fine irregular brown (7.5YR 4/4) oxidized iron masses; noneffervescent; moderately acid, pH 5.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches, (10 to 23 cm) thick)
Bss1--5 to 13 inches, (13 to 33 cm); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 48 percent clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; few slickensides; noneffervescent; neutral, pH 7.0 by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bss2--13 to 26 inches, (33 to 66 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; 49 percent clay; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores and few fine tubular pores; common slickensides; few fine and medium irregular worm nodules; noneffervescent; moderately alkaline pH 8.0, by pH meter 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary.
Bss3--26 to 35 inches, (66 to 89 cm); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 50 percent clay; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few slickensides; common fine threads dark gray (10YR 4/1) iron depletions and few fine spherical manganese masses; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline, pH 8.6 by pH meter 1:1 water; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bss horizon is 16 to 66 inches, (41 to 168 cm) thick.)
Bkss--35 to 45 inches, (89 to 114 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; 49 percent clay; moderate medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; few slickensides; common fine spherical black (N 2/0) manganese masses; common fine and medium carbonate threads; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5 by pH meter by 1:1 water; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 16 inches, (0 to 41 cm) thick)
Bk--45 to 53 inches, (114 to 135 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) silty clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; 46 percent clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine granular; extremely hard, firm, moderately sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common fine and medium carbonate threads; common fine spherical black (N 2/0) manganese masses; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline, pH 8.5 by pH meter 1:1 water; abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches, (0 to 28 cm) thick)
2Bkqm1--53 to 63 inches, (135 to 160 cm); indurated duripan very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; 9 percent clay; massive; indurated; common very fine and fine tubular pores; few prominent continuous yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay films in root channels and/or pores; common fine irregular black (N 2/0) manganese masses; common carbonate threads; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline, pH 9.0 by pH meter by 1:1 water; gradual smooth boundary. 0.125 inch thick silica and lime cemented indurated capping. Roots are matted on top of capping. Carbonate pendants on undersides of duripan plates.
2Bkqm2--63 to 72 inches, (160 to 183 cm); moderately cemented duripan very pale brown (10YR 7/4) silt loam, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; 14 percent clay; massive; moderately cemented; common very fine tubular pores; few prominent continuous yellowish red (5YR 4/6) clay films in root channels and/or pores; common fine carbonate threads and common fine irregular carbonate threads; noneffervescent; strongly alkaline, pH 8.9 by pH meter 1:1 water; 2 percent rounded gravel. (Combined thickness of the 2Bkqm horizon is 18 inches, (46 cm) or more).
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California; about 1.7 miles southeast of Rancho Llano Seco headquarters, approximately 8500 feet west of the Mt. Diablo meridian and 14,500 feet south of the boundary between Township 20 N. and 21 N.; in an unsectionized area in the Llano Seco Land Grant; 39 degrees, 34 minutes, 57 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 56 minutes, 48 seconds West longitude, NAD27. U.S.G.S. Quad: Llano Seco, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to duripan ranges from 40 to 60 inches, (102 to 152 cm). The mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 64 degrees F, (17 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry from about June to October 15 (120 to 125 days). The particle-size control section averages 45 to 55 percent clay. Mineralogy is dominantly smectitic. Depth to carbonates ranges from 6 to 39 inches, (15 to 99 cm). Organic matter ranges from 1 to 2 percent from 0 to 5 inches, (0 to 13 cm) and from 0.1 to 0.9 percent from 5 to 72 inches, (13 to 183 cm). Base saturation by ammonium acetate ranges from 96 to 100 percent throughout. Reversible surface-initiated cracks 0.5 to 3 inches, (1.27 to 8 cm) or more wide extend to a depth of 25 to 39 inches, (64 to 99 cm) or more and are open from May 15 to October 15 (about 150 days) when the soil is not irrigated and are closed the rest of the year. Slickensides range from 5 to 45 inches, (13 to 114 cm) in the Bss and Bssk horizons. A fluctuating water table can occur from the top of the duripan to 26 inches, (66 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through April.
Some pedons have a silt loam overwash that ranges from 4 to 15 inches, (10 to 38 cm) thick and clay ranges from 18 to 27 percent or silty clay loam overwash that ranges from 4 to 20 inches, (10 to 51 cm) thick and clay ranges from 27 to 40 percent. Depth to duripan ranges from 40 to 81 inches, (102 to 206 cm) depending on thickness of overwash.
The A horizon dry color is 10YR 4/1, 4/2, 5/2 or 6/3. Moist color is 10YR 3/1, 3/2, 3/3 or 4/2. Texture is silty clay or clay. Clay content ranges from 40 to 55 percent. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 0 to 1 percent. SAR ranges from 0 to 1. Redoximorphic features such as oxidized iron masses, with colors of 7.5YR 4/4, or 4/6 and manganese masses with colors of N 2/0 may be present. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral.
The Bss horizon dry color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/2 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 4/2, 4/3, 4/4 or 7.5YR 5/4. Texture is clay or silty clay. Clay content ranges from 45 to 55 percent. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 3 to 10 percent. SAR ranges from 1 to 6. Redoximorphic features such as manganese masses with colors of N 2/0 and iron depletions with colors of 10YR 4/1 are present. Reaction is slightly acid to strongly alkaline.
The Bkss horizon dry color is 10YR 5/4, 6/3, 7/4 or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3, 4/4, 7.5YR 4/4 or 4/6. Texture is clay, silty clay, or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 35 to 55 percent. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 10 to 12 percent. SAR ranges from 1 to 9. Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent. Calcium carbonate occurs as soft masses or concretions. Calcium carbonate ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Redoximorphic features such as manganese masses with colors of N 2/0 are present. Reaction is slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
The Bk or 2Bk horizon dry color is 10YR 6/4 or 7.5YR 5/4. Moist color is 10YR 4/4 or 7.5YR 4/4. Texture is clay, silty clay, or clay loam. Clay content ranges from 35 to 55 percent. Exchangeable sodium ranges from 10 to 12 percent. SAR ranges from 1 to 8. Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent. Calcium carbonate occurs as soft masses or concretions. Calcium carbonate ranges from 0 to 1 percent. Redoximorphic features such as manganese masses with colors of N 2/0 are present. Reaction is moderately alkaline to strongly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Oswald and Wekoda series. Oswald soils are moderately deep to a paralithic contact of siltstone. Wekoda soils are very deep and have gleyed matrix colors.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Whitecabin soils are in flood basins. This transitional landform divides the overflow channels and floodplains of the Sacramento River from the Butte Basin. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. These soils formed in alluvium weathered from mixed rocks. Thin layers of sediment are deposited during floods. Elevation is 95 to 105 feet, (29 to 32 m). Mean annual precipitation is 18 to 19 inches, (457 to 482 mm). The mean annual temperature is 59 to 60 degrees F, (15 to 16 degrees C). Frost free season is 240 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blavo, Parrott, Llanoseco, Lofgren and Gianella soils. Blavo soils are in basins, are very fine, and are moderately deep to duripan. Parrott soils are on flood plains, are fine silty and are very deep. Llanoseco soils are in flood basins, have water tables below 40 inches, (102 cm), and have a duripan at 60 to 120 inches, (152 to 305 cm). Lofgren soils are in basins, are very fine and are deep to a duripan. Gianella soils occur on the active meander belt portion of flood plains, are coarse-loamy, and are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; high runoff; slow saturated hydraulic conductivity in the Ap, Bss, Bkss, and Bk horizons and is impermeable in the 2Bkqm horizons. The soils are occasionally flooded for brief duration from December through March. After flood events, water remains on the surface for long to very long duration. Water frequently ponds up to 6 inches, (15 cm) above the surface for long duration from December through March. A fluctuating water table can occur from the top of the duripan to 26 inches, (66 cm) below the surface of the soil from December through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for rice and wildlife habitat. Vegetation is meadow barley, ryegrass, curly dock, prickly lettuce, soft chess, bermudagrass, spikerush, filaree, Fitchs spikeweed, dallisgrass and cocklebur.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occurs in the Butte Sink- Sutter Basin subsection of the Great Valley section. MLRA 17 Sacramento Valley. The soils are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of historical name from the Llano Seco Rancho.
REMARKS: These soils were previously mapped as Landlow in the Soil Survey of Chico Area, California 1926.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 5 inches, (0 to 13 cm) (Ap)
Cambic horizon - zone from 5 to 53 inches, (13 to 135 cm) (Bss1, Bss2, Bss3, Bssk, Bk).
Duripan - the zone from 53 to 72 inches, (135 to 183 cm) (2Bkqm1, 2Bkqm2).
Aquic conditions - zone from 26 to 53 inches, (66 to 135 cm).
Particle-size control section - zone from 10 to 40 inches, (25 to 102 cm).
The soil moisture control section - zone from 6 to 19 inches, (15 to 48 cm).
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization data from lab pedon number: 95P0516, NSSL, Lincoln, NE.