LOCATION MYERS . CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Aridic Haploxererts
TYPICAL PEDON: Myers clay, 0 to 2 percent slopes, in a fallowed field. When described on September 28, 1987 the soil was dry to 3 inches and moist below. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 3 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bss1--3 to 25 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; strong medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides tilted 40 to 60 percent from vertical; many moderately thick clay films on ped faces; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
Bss2--25 to 43 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; extremely hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides tilted 40 to 60 percent from vertical; slightly alkaline (pH 7.5); clear smooth boundary.
Bss3--43 to 56 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine tubular pores; common intersecting slickensides tilted 40 to 60 percent from vertical; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); clear smooth boundary.
B--56 to 71 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, very sticky and very plastic; common very fine tubular roots; many moderately thick clay films on ped faces; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Colusa County, California; 2300 feet north and 1600 feet west of the southeast corner of section 33, T. 15 N., R. 3 W., MDB&M; 39 degrees 6 minutes 15 seconds north latitude and 122 degrees 12 minutes 10 seconds west longitude; Cortina Creek quadrangle.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Slickensides and pressure faces are common to many from depths of about 10 to about 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 60 to 65 degrees F. These soils have cracks 30 to 50 inches deep that open in May and June and remain open until November.
The A horizon color is 10YR 6/3, 6/2, 5/3, 5/2, 4/3, 4/2; 2.5Y 5/2. Moist colors are 10YR 4/3, 4/2; 2.5Y 4/2. Texture is clay, clay loam, or silty clay loam with more than 30 percent clay in all pedons. This horizon has angular blocky to prismatic structure that separates to granular structure on the surface after prolonged drying. Reaction is medium acid to slightly alkaline, becoming more alkaline with depth. In some pedons there is segregated lime in the lower part of the A horizon.
The Bss horizon color is 10YR 6/4, 5/4, 5/3, 4/3; 5Y 5/3, 5/2, 5/1. Moist colors are 10YR 4/4, 4/3; 5Y 5/2, 4/3. Texture is clay or silty clay and in some pedons is clay loam in the lower part. This horizon ranges from neutral to strongly alkaline, and is usually calcareous but is intermittently calcareous or may be free of lime above 60 inches in some pedons. A few pedons are mottled in the lower part of the horizon.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ayar, Campbell, Capay, Centerville, Porterville, Sehorn and Seville series. Ayar, Capay, Centerville, Porterville and Seville soils have dark colored A horizons with dry values of 5 or less and moist values of 3 or 2. In addition Ayar soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 40 to 70 inches. Campbell soils lack slickensides and are saturated with water between depths of 40 and 60 inches during part of the year. Sehorn soils have a lithic contact at a depth of 23 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Myers soils are on nearly level alluvial fans at elevations of 25 to 2,000 feet. The soils formed in alluvium from sedimentary formations. The climate is dry subhumid, mesothermal, with hot, dry summers and cool moist winters. Average annual precipitation is 15 to 30 inches. Average January temperature is 44 degrees F., average July temperature is 78 degrees F., and a mean annual temperature is about 58 to 62 degrees F. The average frost-free season is 250 to 280 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Sehorn soils and the geographically associated Capay, Brentwood, Hillgate and Rincon soils. Brentwood soils lack slickensides.. Hillgate and Rincon soils have argillic horizons.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well to moderately well drained; slow runoff; slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: The soils are used for dry farmed grain, irrigated row, field crops and rice. Vegetation is annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: This soil occurs on the west side of the Sacramento Valley and in the interior valleys of the Coast Range of California. The series is of moderate extent. MLRA 17, 14..
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tehama County, California, 1961.
REMARKS: The Myers soils were formerly classified as Grumusols.
Series reclassified June, 1996 from Entic Chromoxererts. Competing series not reviewed at that time.
OSED scanned by SSQA.