LOCATION WEREWOLF CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haplargids
TYPICAL PEDON: On Werewolf-Arizo association, 2 to 8 percent slopes at an elevation of 3,722 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
The surface is covered by approximately 65 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles and 1 percent stones.
A-- 0 to 3 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) extremely gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; 65 percent gravel, 4 percent cobbles, and 1 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw-- 3 to 13 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very gravelly sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine interstitial, and few very fine to medium tubular pores; 45 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 13 inches thick)
Bt-- 13 to 30 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) extremely gravelly coarse sandy loam, brown/dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; moderately hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine and few fine interstitial and tubular pores; 30 percent faint patchy clay films on faces of peds and coating sands and gravel; 65 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); clear wavy boundary. (16 to 41 inches thick)
Btk-- 30 to 60 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) very gravelly loam, brown/dark brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, very friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 1 percent soft filaments of lime; 50 percent distinct discontinuous clay films on sands and gravel; 90 percent prominent continuous clay films on ped faces; 35 percent gravel and 3 percent cobbles; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: San Bernardino County, California; about 15,200 feet west and 1,700 feet north of the southwest corner of section 7, T. 16 N., R. 6 E. in an unsectionalized area, 35 degrees, 29 minutes, 33 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 26 minutes, 23 seconds west longitude; Red Pass Lake NW quadrangle; (UTM 11S, 0550827e 3927805n).
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section - Usually dry, moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and October following convection storms. The soils have a Typic-Aridic moisture regime.
Soil temperature: 63 to 68 degrees F.
Organic matter: 0 to 0.5 percent
Surface rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent gravel, 4 to 15 percent cobbles and 0 to 3 percent stones.
Control section -
Rock fragments: 60 to 85 percent
Clay content: average is 15 to 18 percent
A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 8 to 12 percent
Rock fragments: 70 to 85 percent; with 65 to 80 percent
gravel, 5 to 15 percent cobbles, and 0 to 3 percent
stones
Consistence: soft or slightly hard
Effervescence: noneffervescent to strongly effervescent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bw horizon
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Texture of the fine earth: sandy loam or loam
Clay content: 10 to 15 percent
Rock fragments: 25 to 50 percent; with 20 to 45 percent
gravel, 2 to 5 percent cobbles, and 0 to 1 percent
stones
Consistence: slightly or moderately hard
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
Bt and Btk horizons
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 or 6, dry or moist
Texture of the fine earth: coarse sandy loam, sandy
loam, or loam
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Rock fragments: 37 to 80 percent; with 35 to 70 percent
gravel, 2 to 8 percent cobbles, and 0 to 1 percent
stones
Consistence: moderately hard or hard, very friable,
friable, or firm
Effervescence: noneffervescent to slightly effervescent
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashmed (T NV), Bitter (CA), Blind (T AZ), Bluebird (T AZ), Highland (T NV), Khyber (T CA), Nellake (T CA), Pinaleno (AZ), Soledad (NM), Timosea (T CA), Topawa (AZ), and Twobitter (T CA) series. Ashmed, Bitter and Timosea soils are dry in the moisture control section during the summer months. Blind soils average fewer rock fragments and have higher clay content in the control section. They also receive more total rainfall and have a MAAT of 59 to 64 degrees F. Bluebird soils receive more total precipitation and have higher clay content in the control section. Highland soils have bedrock at 30 to 40 inches and average fewer rock fragments in the control section. Khyber soils have 40 to 80 percent of the gravel fraction in the 2 to 5 mm range. In addition, Khyber soils have an argillic horizon with more than 1 percent visible carbonates. Nellake soils have a MAST of 66 to 72 degrees F., receive less rainfall, and are formed in granitic material. Pinaleno, Soledad, and Topawa soils are moist in some part of the moisture control section for more than 20 days, cumulative, between July and October. In addition, Pinaleno soils have a calcic horizon, Soledad soils have 8 to 18 percent clay in the control section, and Topawa soils have a MAST of 69 to 72 degrees F. Twobitter soils are on patina surfaces, have a thinner argillic horizon, average fewer rock fragments in the control section, and are underlain by sand.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Werewolf soils are on fan remnants. Slopes are 2 to 8 percent. These soils formed in mixed alluvium from dominantly volcanic sources. Elevations are 3,200 to 4,000 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and warm, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 4 to 7 inches; mean annual air temperature is 61 to 66 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 240 to 300 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: This is the Arizo series. The Arizo soils are sandy-skeletal and do not have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; very low through medium runoff; moderately permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Werewolf soils are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly white bursage, range ratany and creosotebush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Mojave Desert of southeastern California. These soils are of small extent in MLRA 30.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Bernardino County, California, Fort Irwin Soil Survey Area, 2000. The name is from a military unit stationed at Fort Irwin, National Training Center.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in the profile are:
1. Ochric epipedon -- 0 to 3 inches (A horizon)
2. Argillic horizon -- 13 to 56 inches (Bt and Btk
horizons)
3. Particle-size control section -- 13 to 33 inches (Bt and
part of the Btk horizons)