The Corning series consists of well-drained gravelly loams on dissected terraces. These soils have a subsoil of clay. Slopes range from 2 to 30 percent. The soils formed in softly consolidated, mixed gravelly alluvium. Elevation ranges from 125 to 600 feet. The annual temperature is 61° F., annual rainfall is 16 to 20 inches, and the frost-free season is about 265 days. Vegetation is chiefly annual grasses, forbs, and a few scattered oaks and patches of brush. The Corning soils are associated principally with Sehorn and Balcom soils.
In a typical profile, the surface layer is light-brown gravelly loam and loam about l l inches thick. The subsoil is red and reddish-yellow clay and yellowish-red very gravelly clay about 21 inches thick. This is underlain by reddish-yellow very gravelly clay.
Corning soils are used for dryfarmed grain and pasture, for range, as wildlife habitat, as watershed, and for recreation.
This soil is on terraces. Representative profile on an east-facing slope of 5 percent, .15 mile north of Road 23 and 160 feet west of the center of Road 85B in T. 10 N., R. 2 W., Mount Diablo Base Meridian, about one-eighth mile southwest of Esparto; the profile, when examined, was moist throughout:
Ap-0 to 6 inches, light-brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, brown (7.5YR 4/2) when moist; weak, medium, angular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; many micro and common very fine vertical roots; common micro and very fine vesicular, interstitial, and tubular pores and a few, fine, closed, tubular pores; strongly acid (pH 5.5); 15 percent gravel by volume; abrupt, smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
A11-6 to 11 inches, light-brown (7.5YR 6/4) loam, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) when moist; weak, medium, angular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common micro and very fine random roots; common micro and very fine vesicular, interstitial, and tubular pores and a few, fine, closed, tubular pores; medium acid (pH 5.7); 10 percent gravel by volume; clear, wavy boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
A12-11 to 14 inches, light-brown (7.5YR 6/4) gravelly loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) when moist; weak, medium, subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; few micro and very fine random roots; common micro and very fine vesicular, interstitial, and tubular pores, and a few fine tubular pores; medium acid (pH 6.0); 15 percent gravel by volume; abrupt, wavy boundary. (0 to 5 inches thick)
B21t-14 to 22 inches, red (2.5YR 4/6) clay, red (2.5YR 4/6) when moist; weak, medium, angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; no roots; common micro tubular pores; continuous, thick, yellowish-red (5YR 5/6) clay films on ped faces and in pores; strongly acid (pH 5.5); 12 percent gravel by volume; clear, wavy boundary. (7 to 13 inches thick)
B22t-22 to 27 inches, reddish-yellow (5YR 6/6) clay, reddish yellow (7.5YR 6/6) when moist; weak, medium, angular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; no roots; common micro tubular pores; continuous thick clay films on ped faces and in pores; medium acid (pH 6.0); no gravel; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
B3t-27 to 38 inches, yellowish-red (5YR 5/6) very gravelly clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) when moist; weak, medium, angular blocky structure; hard, very firm, sticky and very plastic; no roots; common micro tubular pores and many very fine interstitial pores; continuous thick clay films on ped faces and in pores and bridges of sand grains; slightly acid (pH 6.5); 50 percent gravel by volume; clear, wavy boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
C-38 to 60 inches, reddish-yellow (5YR 6/6) very gravelly clay, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) when moist; massive; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and plastic; no roots; common micro tubular pores and many very fine interstitial pores; continuous thick clay films in pores and bridges of sand grains; neutral (pH 7.0); 70 percent gravel by volume.
The A horizon ranges in color from light brown to reddish yellow to brown and in texture from gravelly very fine sandy loam or loam to gravelly sandy clay loam that contains 10 to 30 percent gravel. This horizon is strongly acid to medium acid. The B2t horizon ranges in color from yellowish red and reddish yellow to red and in texture from gravelly clay to clay that contains 0 to 20 percent gravel. The B3 horizon contains 30 to 60 percent gravel. The B horizon is strongly acid to slightly acid. The C horizon is generally made up of very gravelly clay that contains 50 to 70 percent gravel. In places this horizon is weakly cemented. In places the C horizon is soft, semiconsolidated sandstone that contains variable amounts of gravel and is many feet thick.
Included in mapping are small areas of Balcom silty clay loam, Hillgate loam, Positas gravelly loam, and Sehorn clay. Also included are areas where the surface layer is 20 to 30 inches thick.
Permeability of this Corning soil is very slow. Surface runoff is slow to medium, and the erosion hazard is moderate. The available water holding capacity is 2.0 to 3.0 inches. The effective rooting depth is 10 to 20 inches to the clay subsoil. Natural fertility is low.
This soil is used mainly for dryfarmed barley, dryland hay, pasture and range. Other uses include wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Capability unit VIe-3, irrigated and non-irrigated. Claypan range site.
This soil is similar to Corning gravelly loam, 2 to 15 percent slopes, eroded, except that it is more sloping.
Included in mapping are small areas of Balcom silty clay loam, Positas gravelly loam, and Sehorn clay.
The surface runoff of this Corning soil is medium to rapid, and the erosion hazard is moderate to high.
This soil is used for dryfarmed pasture and for range. Other uses include wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Capability unit VIe-3, irrigated and non-irrigated. Claypan range site.