LOCATION HELENDALE CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: Helendale loamy sand, on a 2 percent slope under creosotebush, bursage, and fiddleneck at 3,220 feet elevation. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described the soil was dry throughout.)
A--0 to 4 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy sand, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate thin and medium platy structure; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 8 inches thick)
Bt1--4 to 6 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) heavy sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky; hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots; common very fine interstitial and tubular pores; many moderately thick clay films on peds, in pores and as bridges between mineral grains; about 3 percent pebbles (2 to 5 mm); slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 2 inches thick)
Bt2--6 to 18 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and fine interstitial pores; many thin clay films on peds, in pores, and as bridges between mineral grains; about 3 percent pebbles (2 to 5 mm); slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 18 inches thick)
Bt3--18 to 30 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate fine and medium angular blocky; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine and very fine roots; few fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films in pores and as bridges between mineral grains; 5 percent pebbles (2 to 5 mm); slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); diffuse smooth boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
Bt4--30 to 39 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular and very fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films in pores and as bridges between mineral grains; 5 percent pebbles (2 to 5 mm); slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); diffuse smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
Bt5--39 to 48 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; few fine roots; few fine tubular and very fine interstitial pores; few thin clay films in pores and as bridges between mineral grains; 5 percent pebbles (2 to 5 mm); slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bk--48 to 66 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; strongly effervescent, carbonates segregated as few fine seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 19 inches thick)
C--66 to 106 inches; yellow (10YR 7/6) loamy sand, yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) moist; massive; hard, very friable; slightly effervescent with carbonates disseminated and segregated as few fine seams; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; approximately 0.5 miles north of Palmdale Road, on Wilson Ranch Road; about 25 feet NE of the SE corner of the SW1/4 SW1/4 SW1/4 section 16, T.5 N., R.6 W, SBBM; Latitude 34 degrees, 30 minutes, 54 seconds north and Longitude 117 degrees,.31 minutes, 11 seconds west; Shadow Mountains, S.E. Quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum is 30 to 48 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is about 65 degrees F. and the soil temperature usually is not below 47 degrees F. at any time. The soil is usually dry and is not continuously moist for more than 60 days. The solum averages 5 to 15 percent gravel. The profile is typically noneffervescent to a depth of 24 inches or more.
The A horizon is 7.5YR 5/4, 5/6; 10YR 5/4, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4 or 7/4. It is loamy sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam or gravelly loamy sand. Structure ranges from weak to moderate, thin to thick platy. Some pedons have weak to moderate, fine and medium subangular blocky structure or are massive. This horizon is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bt horizon is 7.5YR 5/4, 5/6, 6/4; 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 5/6, 6/4 dry; 7.5YR 4/4, 4/6; 10YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/4 moist. It is sandy loam, fine sandy loam and gravelly sandy loam and averages 8 to 18 percent clay. This horizon generally has prismatic structure but ranges to angular or subangular blocky. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Disseminated lime is usually lacking, but some pedons are slightly effervescent in the lower part.
The Bk horizon is 7.5YR 4/6, 5/4, 5/6; 10YR 5/3, 5/4, 5/6, 6/3 or 6/4 dry; 7.5YR 4/4 or 10YR 4/3, 4/4 moist.. It is sandy loam, loamy fine sand, loamy sand and gravelly sandy loam. Structure is subangular or angular blocky or the horizon is massive.
The C horizon is 2.5Y 7/4; 10YR 6/3, 6/4, 6/6, 7/6, 8/4; 7.5YR 6/6 dry. It is typically loamy sand or loamy fine sand but ranges from sandy loam to loamy sand and has gravelly sand, gravelly loamy sand and gravelly sandy loam phases. It is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Carbonates usually occur but the C horizon lacks a calcic horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Onite (NM), Rotura (T NM) Sonoita (AZ), Tray (CA) and Yucca (T NM) series in the same family and the Adelacnto series. Adelanto soils are 12 to 44 inches deep to the top of the Bt horizon and have an aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric. Lost Hills soils have a Bt horizon with ESP in excess of 15 in most parts. Onite soils have sola 10 to 28 inches thick, and are calcareous within 10 inches of the surface. Tray soils have a massive, strongly to very strongly alkaline argillic horizon with an ESP of 15 to 30 and are calcareous throughout the profile. Sonoita soils have a medium acid to neutral A horizon and are intermittently moist during the summer.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Helendale soils are on fan piedmonts, alluvial fans and terraces. Slopes are 0 to 9 percent. Elevations are 2,000 to 4,600 feet. The soils formed in alluvium dominantly from granitic rock. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and cool somewhat moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 7 inches, most of the moisture occurs as rain in late autumn and winter. Snowfall is 1 to 2 inches in some years. The mean annual temperature is 57 to 66 degrees F.; the mean January temperature is about 44 degrees F.; and the mean July temperature is about 83 degrees F. The frost free season is 190 to 255 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bryman, Cajon and Rosamond soils. Bryman soils have a fine-loamy particle size family with a thick sandy clay loam Bt horizon. Rosamond soils lack an argillic horizon and have a fine-loamy particle size family. Cajon soils lack an argillic and have a sandy particle size family.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; negligible to low runoff; moderately rapid permeability over rapid, and in some areas the permeability is moderately rapid.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for irrigated pasture, small grains and alfalfa. They are also used for homesites, military operations and recreation. Vegetation is mainly creosotebush, bursage, Mormon-tea, Joshua tree, and annual forbs and grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of California. The soils are moderately extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Mojave River Area, 1978.
REMARKS: Runoff classes based on Ksat and slope as described in "Terminology Used in Soil Survey Data Entry or Manuscript Editing of:" 9-23-94 MAV. Runoff changed from slow or medium to negligible to low.