LOCATION WISHEYLU CATentative Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Ultic Haploxeralfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Wisheylu loam - annual grass range (Colors for dry conditions unless otherwise noted).
A1--0 to 4 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common fine and few medium roots; occasional medium tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 7 inches thick).
B1t--4 to 24 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) light sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium to fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few medium and coarse roots; few to common medium tubular pores; many thin clay films on ped faces and in pores; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 22 inches thick).
B21t--24 to 35 inches; dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/2) moist; weak medium prismatic breaking to moderate coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, sticky, and plastic; few coarse roots; few to common medium tubular pores; moderately thick continuous clay films on ped faces and in pores; some gravel-sized angular fragments of parent rock; slightly acid (pH 6.4); abrupt irregular boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick).
B22t--35 to 40 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; very hard to extremely hard, very firm, sticky, and plastic; few coarse roots; few coarse tubular pores; many thin clay films on ped faces and in pores; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick).
C--40 to 50 inches +; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) strongly weathered parent rock, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; crushes to sandy clay loam texture; original rock fabric indistinct; numerous fractures, thick clay films on rock faces; grades to unweathered parent rock with depth in excess of 10 feet.
TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California. Approximately 2,800 feet south of Cold Spring Rancheria on Vincent Road (US Forest Service); NE1/4, SW1/4, NE1/4, sec. 23, T.11S., R.24E., MDB&M. Site on a steep (48%) NE slope; elevation 1,450 feet; thin dried grass and forb litter.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soils have ochric epipedons (less than 1% organic matter in upper 10 inches), argillic horizons with base saturation of less than 75 percent in all parts. The soils are usually moist but dry for 60 consecutive days in 7 to 20 inch section. Mean annual soil temperature is 59 degrees to 72 degrees F. Mineralogy is mixed. The solum is 21 to 41 inches thick to strongly weathered basic igneous rock.
The texture of the A horizons range from loam to sandy loam; in color from brown or dark brown to grayish brown (10YR 5/3, 4/3, 5/2) dry, and from dark brown or very dark brown to very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/3, 2/2, 3/2) moist; in reaction from neutral to slightly acid. Surface structure is usually granular unless compacted by the trampling of grazing animals.
The Bt horizons are distinctive for their dull colors of dark brown to dark grayish brown (10YR 4/3, 4/2; 7.5YR 4/2). When dry the B21t may brighten to a brown or yellowish brown (10YR and 7.5YR hues), while the lower part of the B2t has a yellower hue (2.5Y 5/2). The moist B21t colors are generally dark, ranging from very dark grayish brown to dark reddish brown (10YR 3/2, 3/3; 2.5Y 3/2; 5YR 3/2). The Bt textures are clay loam and sandy clay loam. The structure is moderately coarse angular blocky to weakly prismatic. The lower subsoil is often massive and extremely hard and firm. The color of the lower subsoil and of the weathered parent rock indicates that slow subsurface seepage may have played a part in the development of this soil.
COMPETING SERIES: These include in the same family the Auberry, Butte, Churn, Coombs and Sierra series. The Auberry soils are well drained, have brown to pale brown Bt horizons overlying strongly weathered granitic bedrock. The Butte soils have white B2t horizons and are underlain by rhyolitic tuff. The Churn and Coombs soils developed in alluvium, have Bt horizons overlying gravelly substratum. The Sierra soils have reddish brown Bt horizons overlying granitic bedrock. Similar soils in the mollic subgroup are Cajalco, Coarsegold and Sobrante. The Tretten soils with mollic epipedons are also similar.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Wisheylu soils occur on strongly rolling to very steep uplands underlain by intrusive basic igneous rock. They occur at elevations of 1,000 to 2,500 feet, in a subhumid mesothermal climate with mean annual rainfall of 20 to 25 inches, with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual temperature is about 57 degrees to 61 degrees F., average January temperature about 43 degrees F., and average July temperature about 77 degrees F. Frost-free season averages about 180 to 200 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include Auberry, Ahwahnee, Tollhouse, Coarsegold and Tretten. The Auberry, Ahwahnee, and Tollhouse soils are underlain by granitic bedrock; Coarsegold soils are underlain by metasedimentary bedrock. Tretten soils have darker A horizons higher in organic matter.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well to well drained with slow to very slow permeability and rapid to very rapid runoff.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for range. Vegetation is woodland-grass-shrub cover, annual grasses and forbs with oak and digger pine and associated shrubs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Upper foothills of the south-central Sierra Nevadas, California. The soils are not extensive (3000+ acres).
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES PROPOSED: Eastern Fresno County Area, 1962; source of name: Yokut Indian dialectic name for Bear Mountain, Fresno County, California.
REMARKS: The soils are formerly classified in the (medial) Prairie group.
The activity class was added to the classification in March of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET
OSED scanned by SSQA. Last revised by state on 8/67.