LAKE HODGES SOILS

LOCATION VISTA              CA

Established Series
Rev. GB/RCH/LCL/SBS
9/98

VISTA SERIES

The Vista series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from decomposed granitic rocks. Vista soils are on hills and mountainous uplands and have slopes of 2 to 75 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 62 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Haploxerepts

TYPICAL PEDON: Vista coarse sandy loam, annual pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

A1--0 to 3 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate fine and medium crumb structure; soft, very friable; common fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; neutral (pH 6.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)

A2--3 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; neutral (pH 6.7); diffuse irregular boundary. (4 to 7 inches thick)

A3--9 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak fine and medium granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; few fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; many krotovinas and animal burrows; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 12 inches thick)

Bw1--19 to 28 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) coarse sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; hard, friable; few fine roots; common very fine and fine pores; many krotovinas and animal burrows; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 14 inches thick)

Bw2--28 to 35 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) coarse sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; massive; hard, friable; few fine roots; common fine and very fine pores; many krotovinas and animal burrows; slightly acid (pH 6.3); abrupt irregular boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)

Cr1--35 to 44 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) and very pale brown (10YR 7/4) weathered quartz diorite grus composed mostly of plagioclase feldspar, biotite, hornblende, and some quartz; clear irregular boundary. (5 to 10 inches thick)

Cr2--44 to 61 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) and very pale brown (10YR 7/3) grus, similar to above, but lacking stains on mineral grains.

TYPE LOCATION: San Diego County, California; about 2 1/2 miles southeast of Fallbrook, California, about 440 feet North northwest of the southeast corner of the Fallbrook High School campus; NE1/4 SW1/4 section 31, T.9 S., R.3 W. (projected). 33 degrees North latitude, 20 minutes, 57 seconds; 117 West longitude, 14 minutes, 16 seconds.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to paralithic contact is 20 to 40 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 6 to 65 degrees F. Usually the soil between depths of 8 and 24 inches is moist in some or all parts from December until about May 1 and is dry the rest of the year.

The A horizon is grayish brown to dark brown (10YR 5/2, 5/3, 4/2 and 4/3). It averages less than 1 percent organic matter. It is coarse sandy loam or sandy loam and is medium acid to neutral. In many pedons krotovinas filled with material like that of the A12 horizon extend downward through the remainder of the solum and into the C1 horizon.

The Bw horizon is very pale brown (10YR 7/3, 6/3, 5/3, 4/3, 5/4, 4/4 and 7.5YR 6/4, 5/4). In some pedons the B horizon has 1 unit higher chroma or redder hue than an underlyimg C horizon that is not grus. This horizon is coarse sandy loam or sandy loam and is slightly acid or neutral. In most pedons the B horizon has a few thin clay films and has slightly more clay than the A horizon.

A sandy loam C horizon that lacks rock structure is present above the grus in some pedons.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ahwahnee, Cienba, Crouch, Escondido, Fallbrook, Garey, Greenfield, and Saugus series. Ahwahnee, Fallbrook, and Greemfield soils have argillic horizons. Cienba soils have a paralithic contact at depths of less than 40 inches. Garey soils have argillic horizons made up of lamellae. Saugus soils lack cambic horizons and they have paralithic contacts at depths below 40 inches.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Vista soils are on hilly slopes at elevations of 400 to 3,900 feet in southern California and at less than 3,500 feet elevation in central California. Slopes range from 2 to 75 percent. The soils formed in material weathered from decomposed granite and other closely related rocks. The climate is subhumid mesothermal. The average annual precipitation is 10 to 22 inches. The average January temperature is 47 to 58 degrees F.; the average July temperature is 67 to 80 degrees F.; and the mean annual temperature is 59 to 65 degrees F. The average frost free season is 210 to 320 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bonsall, Las Posas, and Ramona soils and the competing Fallbrook and Greenfield soils. Bonsall soils have fine textured argillic horizons that are high in exchangeable sodium. La Posas soils have dark red, fine textured argillic horizons, formed in deeply weathered gabbro. Ramona soils have reddish brown argillic horizons formed in granitic alluvium.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow to rapid runoff; moderately rapid permeability.

USE AND VEGETATION: Under irrigation avocados and citrus are grown in areas of favorable temperature. A few small areas are used for growing winter truck crops. On areas of moderate relief, grain and hay are grown without irrigation. Range is a common use in areas that are not cultivated. The natural vegetation is annual grasses and forbs and such shrubs as California sagebrush, scrub oak, lilac, chamise, sumac, and flattop buckwheat.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern California and Sierra Nevada foothills. The soil is extensive.

MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California

SERIES ESTABLISHED: San Diego County (Oceanside Area), California, 1929.

ADDITIONAL DATA: NSSL pedons S64CA-073-001 (type location), S65CA-053-029, S65CA-053-030, S55CA-065-006, S64CA-073-004 and S55CA-065-007.

REMARKS: Minor edits to horizon designations made in 1996. Entire official series description needs to be updated, included competing section.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.