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								          San Joaquin County, California
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<br />      Proper stocking rates, pasture rotation, and restricted   	by the hardpan at a depth of 20 to 40 inches. Roots are
<br />      grazing during wet periods help to keep the pasture in  	restricted to cracks and the faces of peds in the
<br />      good condition and protect the soil from compaction.    	claypan, which is at a depth of 10 to 20 inches. Water
<br /> 	If this unit is used for homesite development, the     	is briefly perched above the claypan and hardpan after
<br />      main limitations are the moderately slow permeability   	periods of heavy rainfall or irrigation. Runoff is ponded
<br />      and low strength. The occasional flooding is a hazard.  	in the small vernal pools, is very slow or ponded in
<br />      On sites for septic tank absorption fields, the      		leveled areas, and is slow on the convex slopes. The
<br />      moderately slow permeability can be overcome by       	hazard of water erosion is slight. The rate of water
<br />      increasing the size of the absorption field. Properly      	intake in irrigated areas is 1.5 inches per hour.
<br />     designing buildings and roads can offset the limited 		Most areas are used for livestock grazing or for
<br />     ability of the soil to support a load. Dikes and channels 	irrigated pasture, irrigated crops, or vineyards. A few
<br />     that have outlets for floodwater can protect buildings    	areas are used for dryland grain crops or homesite
<br />     and onsite sewage disposal systems from flooding.      	development. This unit may provide wetland functions
<br />	This map unit is in capability units Ilw-2 (MLRA-17), 	and values. These should be considered in plans for
<br />     irrigated, and IVw-2 (MLRA-17), nonirrigated. It is in     	enhancement of wildlife habitat or land use conversion.
<br />  _vegetative soil group A.     						Where this unit is used for livestock grazing, general
<br />     										management considerations include saturated soil
<br />	236—San Joaquin sandy loam, 0 to 2 percent       	conditions in concave areas following rainy periods. The
<br />     slopes. This moderately well drained, nearly level soil is       characteristic plant community is mainly soft chess,
<br />  .on terraces. It is moderately deep to a hardpan. It       	ripgut brome, foxtail fescue, and filaree. Grazing should
<br />     formed in alluvium derived from granitic rock sources.  	be delayed until the soil is firm enough to withstand
<br />     The native vegetation is mainly annual grasses, (orbs,  	trampling by livestock and the more desirable forage
<br />  .and scattered California white oak. Slopes are complex,       plants have had an opportunity to set seed.
<br />     and the landscape is characterized by hummocky   		This unit is suited to irrigated pasture. The main
<br />     microrelief, depressions, minor drainageways, and       	limitations are the complex slopes and the very low
<br />  `areas that have been leveled. Meandering 			available water capacity. Leveling helps to ensure a
<br />     drainageways and closed depressions fill with water to 	uniform application of water. Because the soil is
<br />     form vernal pools during the winter in many areas.       	droughty, the applications should be light and frequent.
<br />     Elevation is 20 to 150 feet. The average annual  		The water can be applied by sprinkler and border
<br />  .precipitation is about 14 inches, the average annual air	methods. Proper stocking rates, pasture rotation, and
<br />     temperature is about 61 degrees F, and the average    	restricted grazing during wet periods help to keep the
<br />     frost-free period is about 275 days.   				pasture in good condition and protect the soil from
<br />       Typically, the surface layer is brown sandy loam      	compaction.
<br />  `about 13 inches thick. The upper part of the subsoil is a   	This unit is suited to irrigated row, field, and vineyard
<br />     claypan of brown clay about 7 inches thick. The lower  	crops. The main limitations are the complex slopes,
<br />     Part to a depth of 60 inches is a brown and light brown,	depth to the very slowly permeable claypan and
<br />     indurated hardpan. In some areas the surface layer is  	hardpan, and the very low available water capacity.
<br />     fine sandy loam, loam, or gravelly sandy loam.    		Leveling helps to ensure a uniform application of water.
<br />       Included in this unit are small areas of Bruella and   	Because of the restricted permeability, the applications
<br />  o Rocklin soils on the slightly higher terraces, Jahant soils       should be regulated so that the water does not stand on
<br />     in landscape positions similar to those of the San		the surface and damage the crops. The hardpan limits
<br />    Joaquin soil, and Madera soils on the slightly higher    	the suitability for deep-rooted crops. Where feasible,
<br />    Parts of the landscape. Also included are small areas of       deep ripping of this restrictive layer can help to
<br />    'San Joaquin soils that have slopes of 2 to 5 percent    	overcome this limitation. A tillage pan forms easily if the
<br />     and are on the slightly higher parts of the landscape,   	soil is tilled when wet. Chiseling or subsoiling breaks up
<br />    areas that have as much as 20 inches of overburden,  	the pan. Because the soil is droughty, applications of
<br />  .and areas where most of the soil horizons have been   	irrigation water should be light and frequent. Furrow,
<br />    removed or altered or fragments of hardpan and 		border, and sprinkler irrigation systems are suitable.
<br />    claypan materials are within 10 inches of the surface as       Returning crop residue to the soil or regularly adding
<br />    a result of land leveling. Included areas make up about	other organic material improves fertility, minimizes
<br />     15 percent of the total acreage,					crusting, and maintains the rate of water intake.
<br />    Available
<br />       Permeability is very slow in the San Joaquin soil.		Where this unit is used for dryland grain crops, the
<br />		water capacity is very low. The shrink-swell   	main limitation is low rainfall during the growing season.
<br />  "Potential is high. The effective rooting depth is limited   	Because the amount of precipitation is not sufficient for
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