LOCATION BOTELLA CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Pachic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Botella silty clay loam, cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
Ap--0 to 9 inches; gray (N 5/) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial, common very fine, fine and medium tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 24 inches thick)
BAt--9 to 14 inches; gray (N 5/) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and common very fine, few fine tubular pores; few thin clay films line tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0) gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--14 to 28 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium angular blocky; extremely hard, firm, very sticky, and very plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and many very fine tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds; slightly acid (pH 6.4) gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Bt2--28 to 41 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; strong medium angular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and common very fine tubular pores; many thin clay films on faces of peds and lining tubular pores; neutral (pH 6.8); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)
2Bt3--41 to 59 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) heavy sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure grading to weak near bottom of horizon; extremely hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial and many very fine, common fine tubular pores; common black organic stains; common moderately thick clay films on faces of peds, continuous moderately thick clay films line tubular pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
2Bt4--59 to 65 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) light sandy clay; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse angular blocky structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine interstitial, common very fine and few fine tubular pores; many very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moderately thick clay films line pores; slightly acid (pH 6.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2BCt--65 to 76 inches; gray (10YR 6/1) heavy sandy clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial common very fine, few fine tubular pores; few moderately thick clay films line tubular pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Santa Barbara County, California; about 2.2 miles east of Los Alamos, .65 mile north of U.S. Highway 101 on Alisos Canyon Road, .2 mile northwest; equivalent to the north portion of NE 1/4, NW 1/4, section 34, T.7 N., R.32 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The solum is more than 32 inches thick. The soil between depths of 4 and 12 inches becomes moist in some part in November or early December and remains moist until May. Mean annual soil temperature is 59 to 64 degrees F. Shale fragments or other rock fragments generally make up less than 15 percent of the solum, except some areas have up to 25 percent shale fragments on the surface. The solum is slightly alkaline to moderately acid. Base saturation is 75 to 95 percent. Organic matter is 2 to 6 percent in the upper 20 inches and decreases gradually to about 1 percent or less at a depth of 30 inches.
The A horizon is gray, dark gray, very dark gray, very dark grayish brown or very dark brown (10YR 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 4/1, 4/2, 3/1, 3/2, 2/2 or N 5/, N 3/, 2.5Y 4/2, 3/2). It is sandy loam, loam, clay loam or silty clay loam. The transition from the A horizon to the B horizon is gradual and most pedons have an BA horizon or a AB horizon or both.
The Bt horizon is gray, dark gray, very dark gray, dark grayish brown, very dark grayish brown or brown (10YR 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 4/1, 3/1, 4/2, 3/2, 4/3, 3/3, 2.5Y 4/2, 3/2, N 5/, N 4/, N 3/). In most pedons value or chroma or both increase one unit in the lower part of the B2t horizon. This horizon is clay loam, silty clay loam or sandy clay loam, and has about 6 to 10 percent more total clay than the A horizon. It has weak to strong angular blocky, subangular blocky or prismatic structure.
The C horizon is light gray, light brownish gray or grayish brown (10YR 7/1, 7/2, 7/3, 6/1, 6/2, 5/2, N 7/, N 6/, 2.5Y 7/2, 6/2, 5/2). This horizon is dominantly loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam. In some pedons there are some strata of sandy loam and fine sandy loam of minor thickness. Some pedons do not have a C horizon.)
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arujo(T), Chico(T), Corona, Elkhorn, Havala, Lockwood, McCoy and Saltcanyon series. Arujo and McCoy soils are underlain by a paralithic contact. Chico soils have a solum more than 80 inches deep and do not have a lithologic discontinuity and a C horizon. Corona soils are moderately well drained and effervescent throughout. Elkhorn soils have shot or concretions in the Bt horizon. Havala soils do not have lithologic discontinuities, and organic matter is less than 1 percent from 10 to 20 inches deep. Lockwood soils have 15 to 35 percent shale and other rock fragments in the A horizon and 15 to 60 percent rock fragments below a depth of 40 inches. Saltcanyon soils have mean January soil temperatures that average below 47 degrees F., do not have slightly acid and moderately acid reactions within the profile, do not have lithologic discontinuities, and have soil moisture that is dry sooner and moist sooner in the year.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Botella soils are in small valley bottoms and on small alluvial fans and have gradients of 0 to 15 percent. They formed in alluvium derived from stream terraces and dark colored upland soils formed in residuum from sedimentary rocks. Elevations are 50 to 2100 feet. The climate is subhumid mesothermal with dry warm to cool summers and cool wet winters. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 25 inches. Average July temperature is 62 to 72 degrees F, average January temperature is about 47 to 50 degrees F, and mean annual temperature is about 57 to 62 degrees F. The average frost-free season is 250 to 350 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Betteravia, Clear Lake, Crow Hill, Elder, Los Osos, Santa Lucia, and Zamora soils. Betteravia soils have less than 1 percent organic matter in the A horizon and some weak silica cementation in the lower part of the profile. Clear Lake soils have clay textures with intersecting slickensides and are poorly drained. Crow Hill and Santa Lucia soils do not have Bt horizons and are underlain by a lithic contact of hard shale. Elder soils do not have Bt horizons and have less than 18 percent clay. Los Osos soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 24 to 40 inches. Zamora soils do not have mollic epipedons and have A horizons that are hard or very hard and massive when dry.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low to high runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for growing field, forage, truck crops, and orchards and nonirrigated grain pasture, hay, and range. Uncultivated areas have a cover of annual grasses and forbs with scattered oak trees and coastal sagebrush in some areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Coastal valley of central and south-central California. MLRAs are 14, 15, 17 and 19. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Santa Barbara County (Santa Ynez Area), California, 1927.
REMARKS:
The 2Bt4 horizon (59 to 65 inches) was re-entered in 2001 after it was lost during scanning to an electronic file.