LOCATION FIDDLER CA+NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey-skeletal, smectitic, mesic Typic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Fiddler stony loam--on a west-facing convex slope of 5 percent under mountain big sagebrush, western juniper, antelope bitterbrush, cheatgrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass at 4,740 feet elevation--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted. When described on March 22, 1979, the soil was moist throughout.)
A--0 to 8 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) stony loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine and common fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 20 percent stones and 5 percent cobbles; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--8 to 11 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/2) very stony clay loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--11 to 21 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very stony clay, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 25 percent stones, 5 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); clear smooth boundary. (9 to 14 inches thick)
Bt3--21 to 26 inches; strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) very stony clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 20 percent stones, 10 percent cobbles, and 10 percent gravel; slightly acid (pH 6.5); abrupt irregular boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
R--26 inches; dark gray (N 4/0) hard fractured basalt.
TYPE LOCATION: Modoc County, California; about 10 miles east of Tule Lake on a west-facing convex slope about 510 feet west of a dirt road; approximately 1,500 feet west and 1,900 feet south of the northeast corner of section 4, T. 47 N., R. 6 E.; USGS Newell 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 41 degrees 56 minutes 45 seconds north latitude and 121 degrees 17 minutes 09 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil is moist in some part of the moisture control section (about 6 to 18 inches) greater than half the time cumulative when the soil temperature is greater than 41 degrees F.; Dry in all parts from early July to early November (110 to 125 days); The soil temperature is greater than 41 degrees F from mid March to early December (250 to 260 days); Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 47 to 56 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 8 to 20 inches; includes the Bt1 horizon in some pedons.
Depth to base of argillic horizon - 20 to 40 inches.
Depth to bedrock - 20 to 40 inches to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: 35 to 50 percent;
Rock fragments:
35 to 55 percent, mainly stones or cobbles. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as andesite and basalt.
Reaction - Slightly acid or neutral.
Other features - Some pedons have thin, transitional BAt horizons.
A horizon
Dry color: 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3; or 7.5YR 3/2.
Moist color: 10YR 2/2, 3/2 or 7.5YR 3/2.
Clay content: 18 to 27 percent.
Rock fragments: 15 to 35 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Bt horizons
Dry color: 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 4/2, 4/3; 7.5YR, 4/2, 4/4, 5/2, 5/4, 5/6.
Moist color: 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 3/4; 7.5YR 3/2, 3/4, 4/4.
Texture: Very stony clay loam, very stony clay, very cobbly clay, or very cobbly clay loam.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 35 to 55 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 1 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ada, Current Spring, Hiibner, Immig, and Provig series.
Ada, Current Spring, Hiibner, and Provig soils are very deep. Immig soils are dry in all parts of the moisture control section for 60 to 90 consecutive days during summer and fall.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Fiddler soils are on hills, plateaus, and mountains. These soils formed in colluvium and residuum derived from volcanic rocks such as andesite and basalt. Slopes are 2 to 50 percent. Elevations range from 4,000 to 7,410 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches including 15 to 25 inches of annual snowfall. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. The frost-free period is 50 to 100 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dunnlake, Lorella, Stukel, and Dotta soils. Dunnlake soils are clayey, shallow to lithic contacts, and occur on plateaus. Lorella soils are shallow to lithic contacts and occur on hills. Stukel soils are loamy, shallow to lithic contacts, do not have argillic horizons, and occur on adjacent hillslope positions. Dotta soils are fine-loamy, very deep, have thick mollic epipedons, and occur on fan remnants.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; high or very high surface runoff; slow permeability (moderately low or moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Fiddler soils are used for forestland and rangeland. The vegetation is bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, mountain big sagebrush, western juniper, Thurber's needlegrass, and rubber rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern California and northwestern Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. The series concept and main acreage is in MLRA 21, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 23.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Modoc County (Butte Valley-Tule Lake Area Soil Survey), California, 1986.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 11 inches (A and Bt1 horizons).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 26 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 26 inches to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 8 to 26 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).