LOCATION ZZYZX CA

Established Series
GAW/LJL/CAH
02/2025

ZZYZX SERIES

The Zzyzx series consists of very deep, somewhat excessively drained soils that formed in sandy alluvium derived from igneous rock. The Zzyzx soils are on fan aprons and fan skirts. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 100 mm, and the mean annual temperature is about 22 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, hyperthermic Typic Torripsamments

TYPICAL PEDON: Zzyzx fine sand, on a southwest facing, linear, 2 percent slope under desert shrubs at an elevation of 414 meters. (Colors are for dry soils unless otherwise noted. 9/11/2012 actual site observation date.) The soil surface is covered by approximately 5 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium and coarse gravel, 5 percent cobbles.

A--0 to 3 cm (0 to 1 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3), moist; moderate thick platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout; common fine irregular and common medium irregular pores; 3 percent fine gravel, 2 percent medium gravel; 1 percent calcium carbonate equivalence of the <2 mm fraction; moderately alkaline (pH 8.3); abrupt smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N05898 (1 to 6 cm thick, 0.4 to 2 inches)

C--3 to 40 cm (1 to 16 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) fine sand, brown (10YR 5/3), moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots throughout; common fine tubular and common very fine tubular pores; 2 percent fine gravel, 1 percent medium gravel; slight effervescence (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalence of the <2 mm fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 13N05899 (Thickness of upper C horizons is 15 to 55 cm thick, 6 to 22 inches.)

Cq1--40 to 96 cm (16 to 38 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) sand, brown (10YR 5/3), moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots throughout and few coarse roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; 1 percent distinct light gray (10YR 7/2), dry, silica coats on rock fragments; 4 percent fine gravel, 2 percent medium gravel; slight effervescence (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalence of the <2 mm fraction); strongly alkaline (pH 8.9); clear smooth boundary. Lab sample # 13N05900

Cq2--96 to 111 cm (38 to 44 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium roots throughout and common very fine roots throughout; common fine irregular and common very fine irregular pores; 1 percent distinct light gray (10YR 7/2), dry, silica coats on rock fragments; 5 percent fine gravel, 2 percent medium gravel; electrical conductivity is 0.6 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio of 14.0; strong effervescence (1 percent calcium carbonate equivalence of the <2 mm fraction); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.5); clear wavy boundary. Lab sample # 13N05901

Cq3--111 to 150 cm (44 to 59 inches); pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly coarse sand, brown (10YR 5/3), moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots throughout; common very fine interstitial pores; 80 percent distinct light gray (10YR 7/2), dry, silica coats on rock fragments; 14 percent fine gravel, 5 percent medium gravel; electrical conductivity is 1.5 dS/m; sodium adsorption ratio of 28.0; violent effervescence(3 percent calcium carbonate equivalence of the <2 mm fraction); very strongly alkaline (pH 9.5). Lab sample # 13N05902 (Combined thickness of lower C(q) horizons is 95 to 135 cm thick, 37 to 53 inches.)

TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 6 miles east and 4 miles south of Baker; about 1,940 feet west and 2,320 feet south of the northeast corner of section 19, T. 13 N., R. 10 E., San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian; USGS Seventeenmile Point, California 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 35 degrees, 11 minutes, 55.43 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 57 minutes, 33.25 seconds west longitude; UTM zone 11 594743e, 3895578n, NAD83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: 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 summer convection storms; typic aridic moisture regime.

Soil temperature: 22 to 25 degrees C (72 to 77 degrees F).
Surface rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent gravel, 0 to 5 percent cobbles and 0 to 1 percent stones.

Control section
Rock fragments: averages 0 to 15 percent, dominantly fine gravel.
Clay content: averages 0 to 7 percent.

A horizon
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4 moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel with 0 to 2 percent cobbles.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.

C, or C(k)(q)1 or 2Bk horizon
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: sand, fine sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand.
Clay content: 0 to 5 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel with 0 to 2 percent cobbles.
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 ds/m.
SAR: 0 to 12.
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline.
Note: this is typically the uppermost C or 2Bk horizon only.

Ck, Cq, BC or C (2 and 3) horizons
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 5 to 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4, dry or moist.
Texture of the fine earth fraction: coarse sand, sand, or loamy sand.
Clay content: 0 to 8 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent gravel in the control section with 0 to 35 percent gravel below 100 cm, with 0 to 2 percent cobbles.
Electrical conductivity: 0 to 2 ds/m.
SAR: 13 to 30.
Effervescence: non-effervescent to violently effervescent.
Reaction: strongly alkaline to very strongly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Carsitas, Dalelake, Joetree, Lagunita (AZ), Myoma, Pintobasin and Rositas series. Carsitas and Rositas soils are dry for most of the year in the moisture control section. Carsitas and Pintobasin soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section. Dalelake and Rositas soils formed in eolian parent material. Joetree soils have a buried argillic horizon with 16 to 28 percent clay with an upper boundary of 100 to 125 cm. Lagunita soils formed in stratified stream alluvium on floodplains with an irregular decrease in organic carbon. Myoma soils have clam and conch shells throughout the particle-size control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Zzyzx soils are on fan aprons and fan skirts. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. The soils formed in sandy alluvium derived from igneous rock. Elevation ranges from 280 to 590 meters (~920 to 1,940 feet). The mean annual precipitation is 75 to 125 mm (~ 3 to 5 in.). The mean annual air temperature is about 20 to 23 degrees C (~68 to 73 degrees F). The frost-free season is 300 to 340 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Buzzardsprings, Dalelake, and Pintobasin soils. Buzzardlake soils are on sand sheets over fan remnants with a calcic horizon. Dalelake soils are on eolian sand sheets and sand dunes. Pintobasin soils are on fan aprons and have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the control section.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Somewhat excessively drained; very low runoff; high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

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

USE AND VEGETATION: Zzyzx soils are used for recreation and wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is creosote bush, burrobush and cattle saltbush.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Basin and Range of California, U.S.A.; MLRA 30. The series is of moderate extent.

SERIES PROPOSED: San Bernardino County, California, Soil Survey of Mojave National Preserve Area, California, 2022. The name is from historical Zzyzx site on Soda Lake.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Ochric epipedon - from a depth of 0 to 18 cm (A and part of the C horizons)
Particle size control section - from a depth of 25 to 100 cm (Part of the C, Cq1 and part of the Cq2 horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial laboratory data from pedon S2013CA071002Lab, samples 13N05898-5902 from San Bernardino County, California, is available from the NRCS-NSSC-Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE, 7/2022. NASIS User Site ID: S2013CA071002Lab.Prior NSSL sampling user site ID was 2012CA795177.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.