LOCATION MILLICH CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Clayey, smectitic, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Millich very stony loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 1 inch; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) very stony loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium platy structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky, nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine and few fine interstitial pores; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bt1--1 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) cobbly clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; common distinct clay films lining pores and common faint bridges between sand grains; moderately acid (pH 6.0); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bt2--4 to 12 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic structure; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; many distinct clay films lining pores and common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few cobblestones and larger stones; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear smooth boundary. (4 to 9 inches thick)
Bt3--12 to 17 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) clay, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; few cobblestones and larger stones; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt irregular boundary. (0 to 7 inches thick)
R--17 inches; gray (N 6/) unweathered andesitic bedrock, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; many black hornblende crystals and a few filaments of fibrous glassy material.
TYPE LOCATION: Alpine County, California; on the Washoe Indian Reservation about 4 miles northeast of Woodfords; about 500 feet west and 700 feet north of the southeast corner of section 20, T. 11 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Woodfords 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 47 minutes 48 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 45 minutes 09 seconds west longitude, NAD27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - The soil is moist from about November 1 until July 1 and usually is dry all the rest of the year; Xeric moisture regime that borders on aridic.
Mean annual soil temperature - 45 to 47 degrees F.
Mean summer temperature - 61 to 64 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 7 to 10 inches; includes the Bt1 horizon and also the Bt2 horizon in some pedons.
Depth to bedrock - 10 to 20 inches to a lithic contact.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 35 to 50 percent; Rock fragments: Averages 5 to 15 percent, mainly cobbles. Lithology of fragments are volcanic rocks such as andesite, andesitic tuff, or andesitic tuff-breccia.
A horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Bt1 horizon - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Cobbly clay loam or stony clay loam.
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 15 percent.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
Reaction: Moderately acid or slightly acid.
Bt2 horizon and Bt3 horizon (when present) - Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Clay or clay loam.
Clay content: 35 to 50 percent.
Rock fragments: 5 to 10 percent.
Structure: Prismatic or angular blocky.
Organic matter content: 1 or 2 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Alding, Crocan, Madeline, Merlin, and Ninemile series.
Alding soils have surface horizons that are influenced by volcanic ash. Crocan soils have an aridic moisture regime, A horizons with 3 to 10 percent organic matter, and argillic horizons with slickensides. Madeline and Ninemile soils have aridic moisture regimes. Merlin soils have more than 60 percent clay in the argillic horizon.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Millich soils are on hills. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks such as andesite, andesitic tuff, and tuff-breccia. Slopes are 5 to 60 percent. Elevations range from 5,400 to 6,500 feet. The climate is subhumid with cold, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches. The mean January temperature is about 28 degrees F., the mean July temperature is about 64 degrees F., and the mean annual temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. The frost-free period is 60 to 90 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aldax and Bieber soils. Aldax soils lack argillic horizons. Bieber soils have a duripan within 20 inches of the soil surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very high surface runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Millich soils are used for rangeland. The vegetation is antelope bitterbrush, low sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, needlegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, singleleaf pinyon, and widely spaced Jeffrey pine.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern California. These soils are not extensive with about 1,600 acres of the series mapped to date. The series concept is in MLRA 26, while other acreage occurs in MLRA 21.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Alpine County (Carson Valley Area), California, 1973.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 7 inches (A and Bt1 horizons and part of the Bt2 horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 1 to 17 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).
Lithic contact - The boundary at 17 inches to underlying hard, unweathered bedrock (R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 1 to 17 inches (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons).