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 10 centimeters (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 20 centimeters thick)
Bt1--10 to 15 centimeters (4 to 6 inches); brown (7.5YR 5/4) 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 fine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
Bt2--15 to 45 centimeters (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 fine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); gradual smooth boundary.
Bt3--45 to 75 centimeters (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 fine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); diffuse smooth boundary.
Bt4--75 to 98 centimeters (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 fine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); diffuse smooth boundary.
Bt5--98 to 120 centimeters (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 fine gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt horizons is greater than 50 centimeters)
Bk--120 to 165 centimeters (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. (0 to 19 inches thick)
C--165 to 265 centimeters (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: Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to September following summer convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime..
Soil temperature: 19 to 22 degrees C.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent.
Control section-
Clay content: 8 to 18 percent.
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam and sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent, predominantly gravel.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Depth to top of argillic horizon: 2 to 25 centimeters (1 to 10 inches).
Effervescence: noneffervescent to 60 centimeters in most pedons, very slightly to strongly effervescent in the lower part.
A horizon
Hue: 7.5YR and 10YR, dry and moist.
Value: 5 to 7, dry and moist.
Chroma: 2 to 4, dry and moist.
Texture of the fine earth: loamy sand, loamy fine sand, and sandy loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent, predominantly gravel.
Structure: weak to moderate, thin to thick platy and weak to moderate, fine and medium subangular blocky structure. .
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR, dry or moist
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry or moist.
Texture: sandy loam, fine sandy loam and coarse sandy loam.
Clay content: averages 8 to 18 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent, predominantly gravel.
Structure: prismatic structure, parting to angular or subangular blocky or fine to medium subangular blocky structure
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
Bk or Bkq horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10 YR, dry or moist.
Value: 4 to 6, dry or moist.
Chroma: 3 to 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Texture: sandy loam, loamy fine sand and loamy sand.
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent, predominantly gravel.
Structure: subangular or angular blocky
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent.
Durinodes: 0 to 2 percent.
C or Ck horizon
Hue: 2.5Y,10YR or 7.5YR, dry or moist,
Value: 6 to 8 dry.
Chroma: 3 to 6 moist.
Texture: sand, loamy sand, loamy fine sand., sandy loam
Rock fragments: 5 to 20 percent.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 0 to 2 percent.
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Sonoita (AZ), Tray (CA) Goldivide (CA), Searchlight (NV), Dovecanyon (CA), Wingap (CA), Goldpeak (CA) and Jumborox (T CA) series . Sonoita soils have a medium acid to neutral A horizon and are intermittently moist for more than 20 days cumulative during the summer. 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. Goldivide soils are 50 to 100 centimeters (20 to 40 inches) to the top of the argillic horizon and upper depth of secondary carbonates is 25 to 75 centimeters (10 to 30 inches). Searchlight soils have 15 to 35 percent rock fragments in the particle size control section, visible secondary silica on rock fragments from 5 centimeters below the mineral soil surface and 5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate throughout the profile. Dovecanyon, Wingap and Goldpeak soils do not receive substantial summer precipitation and are noneffervescent throughout the profiles. In addition, Goldpeak soils are cool thermic with a mean annual soil temperature of 15 to 18 degrees C. Wingap soils also have paralithic contact between 100 and 150 centimeters. Jumborox soils are cool thermic with a mean annual soil temperature of 15 to 18 degrees C.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Helendale soils are on fan piedmonts, alluvial fans and terraces. Slopes are 0 to 9 percent. Elevations are 2,000 to 3,800 feet. The soils formed in alluvium from granitoid sources. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and cool, somewhat moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 millimeters (4 to 8 inches). The mean annual temperature is 17 to 20 degrees C (63 to 68 degrees F.) The frost free season is 280 to 320 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bryman, Cajon, Rosamond and Morongo 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. Morongo soils are similar to Cajon soils, but do not have any efferevescence throughout the series control section.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; negligible to low runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.
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. MLRA 30. The soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Mojave River Area, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features represented in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 centimeters (A horizon)
2. Argillic horizon: 10 to 120 centimeters (Bt horizons)
3. Particle size control section: 10 to 60 centimeters (Bt1, Bt2 and part of Bt3 horizon)
4.
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.
Note: Where mapped above 3,800' elevation, such as Benton Owens Valley Soil Survey area, consider correlating those soils to the cool, thermic soil, Jumborox series. Use of Helendale in MLRA 30XA areas (without summer precipitation) such as Edwards Air Force Base, Benton and Owens Valley and the Mojave Desert, Northwest Part should be reconsidered.