LOCATION WICKSCORNER CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ultic Palexeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Wickscorner loam, on a west facing 5 percent slope under a cover of annual grasses at an elevation of 418 feet, (127 m). When described on 4/17/2001 the soil was dry from 0 to 8 inches, (0 to 20 cm) and slightly moist from 8 to 84 inches, (20 to 213 cm). (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
A--0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/3) moist; 20 percent clay; weak fine and medium subangular blocky parting to moderate fine granular structure; hard, firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots and common medium roots; many very fine irregular pores; 10 percent rounded basalt gravel; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear smooth boundary. (2 to 9 inches, (5 to 23 cm) thick)
Bt1--2 to 8 inches, (5 to 20 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; 26 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky parting to moderate medium platy structure; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky, slightly plastic; many very fine and fine roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 30 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on surfaces along pores; 2 percent rounded quartz gravel and 10 percent rounded basalt gravel; moderately acid, pH 5.8 by Hellige-Truog; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--8 to 22 inches, (20 to 56 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; 30 percent clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky, moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium tubular pores; 40 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; 32 percent rounded basalt gravel; moderately acid, pH 6.0 by Hellige-Truog; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 11 to 27 inches, (28 to 69 cm) thick).
2Bt3--22 to 38 inches, (56 to 97 cm); brown (7.5YR 4/3) very gravelly clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; 36 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; common very fine and fine roots ; common very fine and fine and few medium tubular pores; 50 percent continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; 3 percent rounded quartz gravel and 35 percent rounded basalt gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.5 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt wavy boundary.
2Bt4--38 to 59 inches, (97 to 150 cm); brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly clay, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; 42 percent clay; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine and medium tubular pores; 50 percent continuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; 5 percent rounded quartz gravel and 45 percent rounded basalt gravel; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bt horizon is 0 to 37 inches, (0 to 94 cm) thick).
3Bt5--59 to 72 inches, (150 to 183 cm); brown (10YR 4/3) extremely gravelly sandy clay, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; 48 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; noncemented; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; few very fine roots top of horizon; few fine tubular pores; 30 percent discontinuous distinct clay films on faces of peds; 30 percent fine and medium iron depletions, 20 percent very fine manganese masses; 3 percent rounded quartz gravel and 60 percent rounded basalt gravel with soft weathered rinds; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog; clear wavy boundary.
3Bt6--72 to 84 inches, (183 to 213 cm); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) extremely gravelly sandy clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; 40 percent clay; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; noncemented; very hard, firm, very sticky, very plastic; few fine tubular pores 35 percent discontinuous clay films on faces of peds, 10 percent very fine manganese masses; 30 percent fine and medium iron depletions;, 3 percent rounded quartz gravel and 60 percent rounded basalt gravel with soft weathered rinds; slightly acid, pH 6.3 by Hellige-Truog. (Combined thickness of the 3Bt horizon is 25 to 40 inches, (63 to 102 cm) or more thick).
TYPE LOCATION: Butte County, California, about 7.4 miles northwest of Oroville, approximately 2800 feet west and 1100 feet north of the southeast corner of Section 2, Township 20 N., Range 3 E., 39 degrees, 36 minutes, 54 seconds North latitude and 121 degrees, 36 minutes, 25 seconds West longitude, NAD83 - U.S.G.S. Quad: Oroville, California.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth is 60 to 80 inches, (152 to 203 cm) or more to duripan. The mean annual soil temperature is 62 to 64 degrees F, (17 to 18 degrees C). The soil moisture control section is dry in all parts from June through October 15 (about 135 days). The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and 20 to 35 percent rock fragments, mostly gravel. Below the control section it has 35 to 55 percent clay and 35 to 80 percent rock fragments. Mineralogy is mixed. Base saturation by sum of cations ranges from 50 to 75 percent to a depth of 72 inches, (183 cm). A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 20 to 80 inches, (51 to 203cm) or more below the surface of the soil from December through April. Redoximorphic features such as manganese masses, with colors of N 2/0 occur in the 2Bt and 3Bt horizons. Rock fragments on the surface range from 0 to 5 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles.
The A horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/3, 5/3 or 10YR 4/3. Moist color is 7.5YR 2/2, 3/2, 3/3, 4/3 or 10YR 3/3. Texture is loam or fine sandy loam. Clay content ranges from 15 to 20 percent. Organic matter ranges from 2 to 6 percent. Rock fragments range from 0 to 10 percent gravel, mostly basalt and chert in small amounts. Reaction ranges from moderately acid to slightly acid.
The Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 4/3, 5/3, 5/4 or 10YR 5/3. Moist color is 5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3 or 10YR 3/4. Texture is loam, clay loam, gravelly loam, gravelly clay loam, gravelly sandy clay loam or very gravelly loam. Clay content ranges from 20 to 33 percent. Organic matter ranges from 0.5 to 2 percent. Rock fragments range from 5 to 35 percent gravel and 0 to 5 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The 2Bt horizon dry color is 7.5YR 5/3, 5/4, 5YR 4/4, 5/4 or 10YR 5/3. Moist color is 5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4, 7.5YR 3/3, 3/4 or 4/3. Texture is very gravelly clay loam, very gravelly clay, very gravelly sandy clay, gravelly clay, extremely gravelly clay loam or very gravelly sandy clay loam. Clay content ranges from 28 to 45 percent. Organic matter ranges from 0.5 to 1 percent. Rock fragments range from 2 to 60 percent gravel and 0 to 10 percent cobbles. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The 3Bt horizon dry color is 10YR 4/3, 5/4, 7.5YR 5/3, 5/4, 5YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/4 or 5/6. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 7.5YR 3/4, 4/4, 4/3, 5YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is extremely gravelly sandy clay, extremely gravelly clay, extremely gravelly clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay or very gravelly clay. Clay content ranges from 35 to 55 percent. Organic matter ranges from 0.2 to 0.8 percent. Rock fragments range from 35 to 65 percent gravel, 0 to 45 percent cobbles and 0 to 2 percent stones. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral. Cementation class ranges from noncemented to extremely weakly cemented.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Cherokeespring, Windynip and Dryfield series. Cherokeespring soils have greater than 50 percent silt throughout.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Wickscorner soils are on Table Mountain alluvial fans. Slopes range from 2 to 10 percent. These soils formed in alluvium weathered from basalt. Elevation is 220 to 660 feet, (67 to 201 m). Mean annual precipitation is 24 to 30 inches, (610 to 762 mm). The mean annual temperature is 61 to 62 degrees F, (16 to 17 degrees C). Frost free season is 250 to 255 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Cherokeespring, Coalcanyon, Coonhollow and Flagcanyon soils. Cherokeespring soils have greater than 50 percent silt throughout. Coalcanyon soils are formed in colluvium from basalt, are on side slopes on basalt plateaus, are loamy-skeletal and have a mollic epipedon. Coonhollow soils are deep to a paralithic contact, are formed in colluvium from basalt, are on side slopes on basalt plateaus, are loamy-skeletal and have a mollic epipedon. Flagcanyon soils are moderately deep to duripan and are loamy-skeletal.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; low to medium runoff; moderate saturated hydraulic conductivity in the A horizon, moderate to moderately slow in the Bt horizon and moderately slow to slow in the 2Bt and 3Bt horizons. A fluctuating water table can occur at depths of 20 to 80 inches (51 to 203cm) or more below the surface of the soil from December through April.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and orchards, mainly olives. Vegetation is wild oat, soft chess, ryegrass, ripgut brome, foxtail, rose clover, fiddleneck, filaree, cowbag clover, lupine, yellow starthistle and bluedicks.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Butte County, California and occur as inclusions in the (262Ag) Hardpan Terraces subsection of the (262A) Great Valley section. MLRA 17 - Sacramento Valley. The soils are inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Butte County, California 2005. Source of name from Wicks Corner.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - zone from 0 to 2 inches, (0 to 5 cm) (A)
Argillic horizon - zone from 2 to 59 inches, (5 to 150 cm) (Bt1, Bt2, 2Bt3, 2Bt4)
Particle-size control section for this pedon: 2 to 22 inches, (5 to 56 cm)
The soil moisture control section - zone from 7 to 22 inches, (18 to 56 cm).
Concept of this soil is fine-loamy (over clayey-skeletal)
The Keefers series type location is located approximately 0.87 miles southwest. Wickscorner will replace Keefers and the Keefers type location will need to be moved to Shasta County to preserve the concept.
Dryfield and Windynip series are listed in the SC file as competing series. However, the descriptions are not available on the Official Series Descriptions site.