LOCATION BAIRS CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Bairs bouldery loamy coarse sand - on an 8 percent east facing slope at 6,070 feet elevation under big sage, desert bitterbrush and Nevada ephedra vegetation. (Colors are for dry soil unless other-wise stated. When described on November 29, 1977 the soil was dry throughout.)
Surface coverage of rock fragments: 3 percent boulders, 3 percent stones, 1 percent cobbles, 20 percent fine gravel; 1/4 inch platy surface crust.
A1--0 to 7 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) bouldery loamy coarse sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; common fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 3 percent boulders, 3 percent stones, 1 percent cobbles, and 20 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 8 inches thick)
A2--7 to 20 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) bouldery loamy coarse sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 3 percent boulders, 3 percent stones, and 20 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary, (3 to 15 inches thick)
Bt1--20 to 31 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; few thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 1 percent boulders, 15 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
Bt2--31 to 44 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) very stony sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and medium roots; few very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films bridging mineral grains; 2 percent boulders, 20 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent pebbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear wavy boundary. (12 to 20 inches thick)
C--44 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) very stony loamy coarse sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 5 percent boulders, 45 percent stones, and 10 percent pebbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5)
TYPE LOCATION: Inyo County, California. About 7.5 miles west-northwest of Lone Pine; 20 yards southeast of Hogback Creek Road; 1150 feet north and 650 feet west of the SE corner of Sec. 19, T.15S., R.35E., M.D.B.M., Lone Pine quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth of solum is 23 to 45 inches and depth of the soil is greater than 60 inches. These soils are usually dry from about May 1 through December 1 and are usually moist in some or all parts the rest of the time. The soil temperature is above 41 degrees F. from about February 15 to December 15, and is above 47 degrees F from about March 12 to November 28. The mean annual soil temperature is 52 to 59 degrees F. The surface rock fragment ranges from 20 to 60 percent with 3 to 15 percent boulders and stones, 1 to 20 percent cobbles, and 5 to 50 percent gravel. Some boulders exceed six feet in diameter. The soil is slightly acid to neutral.
The A horizon color is 10YR 5/2, 5/3 or 6/3 and moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3 or 4/3. Textures are cobbly loamy sand and bouldery loamy coarse sand. The rock fragment content is 15 to 35 percent with 3 to 15 percent boulders, stones, cobbles, and 15 to 30 percent pebbles. The organic carbon content is 0.4 to 0.6 percent.
The Bt horizon color is 10YR 7/3, 7/4, 6/4, 6/3, 5/3 or 5/4 and moist color is 10YR 3/3, 3/4, 4/3, 4/4 or 5/4. Textures are very cobbly, very stony, sandy loam or sandy clay loam. The rock fragment content ranges from 35 to 65 percent with 5 to 30 percent boulders and stones, 10 to 20 percent cobbles, and 10 to 20 percent pebbles. Clay films are thin to moderately thick and are few to many. The clay content ranges from 10 to 25 percent, but averages 10 to 18 percent.
The C horizon color is 10YR 7/3 or 7/4 and moist color is 10YR 5/3 or 5/4. Textures are very stony or extremely stony loamy coarse sand, with rock fragment content similar to the B horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Breko, Cowgil (T), Daint, Hefed, Hunewill (T), Jungo, Lithgow, Plush, Sed, Stucky and Washoe series. Breko and Cowgil soils have Bk horizons. Daint, Hunewill and Hefed depth to base of Bt horizon is less than 20 inches thick. Jungo soils have 20 to 30 percent clay in the control section. Lithgow soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Plush soils have bedrock at 40 to 60 inches. Stucky soils have an argillic horizon with 27 to 35 percent clay and lack boulders and stones. Sed soils have bedrock at 20 to 40 inches. Washoe soils have mean annual soil temperatures of 51 to 53 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Bairs soils formed in granitic alluvium on alluvial fans and alluvial fan terraces, with small areas formed in mixed alluvium. These alluvial fans form long aprons along range fronts. They are dissected with some drainageways and shallow washes. Slopes are 5 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 5,100 to 6,500 feet. The mean annual precipitation is 6 to 10 inches, much of it as snow. The mean January temperature is about 36 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 75 degrees F; mean annual temperature is 50 to 57 degrees F. The frost-free season is 115 to 150 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Rovana (T) and Ulymeyer (T) soils. These soils lack argillic horizons. Rovana soils have sandy control sections and are on alluvial fans and fan terraces. Ulymeyer soils have sandy-skeletal control sections and are on alluvial fans and fan terraces.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to medium runoff; moderate over rapid permeability in the substratum.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used principally for rangeland, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, desert bitterbrush, Nevada ephedra and desert needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Alluvial fans in east-central California. The soils are of small extent in MLRA - 26 and 29.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES PROPOSED: Inyo County, California; Benton-Owens Valley Soil Survey, 1987.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 20 inches (A1, A2)
1.1 Organic carbon values of 0.4 to 0.6 percent were determined in laboratory using the wet combustion method. The average sand: clay ratio for the upper 16 inches of soil is 8-13:1. This places the soil in Xerollic subgroup.
2. Argillic horizon (Bt1, Bt2)
3. The soil moisture regime is aridic bordering on xeric; estimated using Thornthwaite water balance method on local meteorological data, soil moisture data, and vegetation indicators. MAP is 8 to 10 inches - determined by extrapolating between weather stations, considering topographic influences, and using vegetation as indicators.
4. The soil temperature regime is mesic (53 to 59 degrees F.) This is extrapolated from actual soil temperature data over a three year period using 12 month averages.
The superactive cation exchange activity class was added in 03/2003 to the taxonomic classification by the National Soil Survey Center on request of the Reno MLRA office, without review of the soil series property data. The remainder of this document has not been updated.