LOCATION CARSITAS CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, hyperthermic Typic Torripsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Carsitas gravelly sand - desert shrubs. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted).
C1--0 to 10 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) gravelly sand, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; stratified; single grained; loose; few coarse and fine roots; common fine interstitial pores; 16 percent gravel (by volume); slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (ph 8.4); gradual smooth boundary. (2 to 15 inches thick)
C2--10 to 60 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) gravelly coarse sand, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; stratified; single grained; loose; very few fine and coarse roots; common fine interstitial pores; 20 percent gravel (by volume); slightly effervescent, moderately alkaline (ph 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Riverside County, California; about 0.9 mile east of Cleveland Avenue on Avenue 70. Six hundred feet west of NE corner, sec. 28, T. 7 S., R. 10 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature at a depth of 20 inches is about 74 degrees F. The climate is one of long, hot dry summers and short mild dry winters. The 10 to 40 inch control section contains 15 to 35 percent rock fragments.
Carsitas soils have light olive gray, gravelly sand upper horizons and light olive gray, gravelly coarse sand lower horizons. Hue is 5Y through 10YR, value is 4 through 7 and chroma is 2 through4. Texture is gravelly sand or gravelly coarse sand. The soil is calcareous throughout and mildly to moderately alkaline. The profile has slight to distinct stratification.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arizo, Cajon, Carrizo, Jean, Niland, Rositas, Soboba, and Tujunga series. Arizo, Cajon, Jean, Soboba, and Tujunga soils have a mean annual temperature of less than 72 degrees F. Carrizo soils have 35 percent or more by volume of rock fragments in the control section. Niland soils have a sandy over clayey control section. Rositas soils are sand or loamy sand in the control section with few or no rock fragments (less than 15 percent).
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Carsitas soils are nearly level to strongly sloping and are on alluvial fans, moderately steep valley fills and dissected remnants of alluvial fans, at elevations of about 220 feet below sea level to 800 feet above sea level. The climate is one of long, hot dry summers and short mild dry winters with an average annual precipitation of less than 5 inches. Torrential summer thundershowers occasionally produce enough runoff to flood the soil for brief periods. The average January temperature is about 53 degrees F, the average July temperature is about 92 degrees F, and the average annual temperature is about 72 degrees F. The frost-free season is about 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Carrizo, Niland, and Rositas soils and the Chuckawalla and Imperial soils. Chuckawalla soils have argillic horizons of reddish hue. Imperial soils have fine textured control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Excessively drained; slow runoff except during rare torrential showers; rapid permeability. Altered drainage may occur where irrigation or seepage has caused a seasonal water table at 2 to 5 feet. Torrential summer thundershowers occasionally produce enough runoff to flood the soil for brief periods.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for watershed and recreation. They are a source of sand and gravel for construction material. Vegetation is a sparse growth of creosotebush, white bursage, barrel cactus, mesquite, and paloverde. Where irrigation water is available, the soils are used for growing citrus fruits and grapes.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern California and possibly Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Riverside County (Coachella Valley Area), California, 1974.
Last revised by the state on 4/74.