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JCA- San Joaquin loam, 0 to Z percent slopes. This moderately deep to hardpan, moderately well drained <br /> soil is on nearly level low terraces. It formed in alluvium from granitic rock sources. The native <br /> vegetation is mainly annual grasses, (orbs and scattered valley oaks. Slopes are a complex of gently <br /> sloping hummocks and depressions with minor drainages and areas that have been land leveled. Meandering <br /> drainageways and closed depressions that fill with water to form vernal pools in the winter months occur in <br /> many areas of this unit. Elevation is ZO to 100 feet. The average annual precipitation is about Ib <br /> inches, the average annual air temperature is about 51 degrees F, and the average frost-free period is <br /> about 275 days. <br /> Typically, the surface layer is brown loam about 6 inches thick. The upper 10 inches of the subsoil is <br /> brown loam. The lower 10 inches is brown clay. The next layer to a depth of 60 inches is a brown, light <br /> brown and strong brown indurated hardpan. Depth to hardpan ranges from ZO to 40 inches. In some areas the <br /> surface layer is fine sandy loam or loam. <br /> Included in this unit are small areas of Capay and Galt ,soils on slightly lower positions and moderately <br /> coarse textured soils with hardpan at depths of lZ to ZO inches on similar positions. Also included are <br /> small areas of San Joaquin soils on 2 to 5 percent slopes on slightly higher positions and land leveled <br /> areas that have as much as ZO inches of overburden or that have most of the soils horizons removed or <br /> altered. Included areas make up about 15 percent of the total acreage. <br /> Permeability of the San Joaquin soil is very slow. Available water capacity is low. Shrink-swell <br /> potential is high. Effective rooting depth is ZO to 40 inches but roots are restricted to cracks and faces <br /> of peds in the claypan which occurs at a depth of 10 to ZO inches. Runoff is ponded in small vernal pool <br /> areas, very slow to ponded in leveled areas, slow on convex slopes and the hazard of water erosion is <br /> slight. The water intake family for irrigation is 1.0. Water is perched for brief periods above the <br /> claypan and hardpan after heavy rains or irrigations. <br /> Most areas of this unit are used for rangeland, irrigated pastureland, irrigated cropland and vineyards. A <br /> few areas are used for dryland grain and homesite development. <br /> Where this unit is used for livestock grazing, general management considerations include saturated soil <br /> conditions in concave areas following rainy periods. The characteristic plant community on this unit is <br /> mainly soft chess, ripgut brome, foxtail fescue and filaree. Grazing should be delayed until the soil is <br /> firm enough to withstand trampling by livestock and the more desirable forage plants have had an <br /> opportunity to set seed. <br /> This unit is suited to irrigated pasture. The main limitations are complex slopes and low available water <br /> capacity. Leveling helps to insure the uniform application of water. Because this soil is droughty, <br /> applications of irrigation water should be light and frequent. Irrigation water can be applied by the <br /> sprinkler and border methods. Use of proper stocking rates, pasture rotation and restricted grazing during <br /> wet periods helps to keep the pasture in good condition and to protect the soil from compaction. <br /> This unit is suited to irrigated row, field and vineyard crops. The main limitations are complex slopes, <br /> depth to the very slowly permeable claypan and hardpan and low available water capacity. Leveling helps to <br /> insure the uniform application of water. Because of the very slow permeability of this soil, the <br /> application of water should be regulated so that water does not stand on the 'surface and damage the crops. <br /> The hardpan reduces the yield of deep rooted crops. Where feasible, deep ripping of this restrictive layer <br /> helps to overcome this limitation. A tillage pan forms easily if this soil is tilled when wet. Chiseling <br /> or subsoiling breaks up the tillage pan. Because this soil is droughty, applications of irrigation water <br /> should be light and frequent. Furrow, border, corrugation and sprinkler irrigation systems are suited to <br /> this soil. Returning crop residue to the soil or regularly adding other organic matter improves fertility, <br /> reduces crusting and increases the water intake rate. <br /> Where this unit is used for dryland grain crops, the main limitation is low rainfall during the growing <br /> season. Because precipitation is not sufficient for annual cropping, a cropping system that includes small <br /> grain and summer fallow is most suitable. Maintaining crop residue on or near the surface reduces runoff <br /> and helps to maintain soil tilth and organic matter content. <br /> If this unit is used for homesite development, the main limitations are depth to the very slowly permeable <br /> claypan and hardpan, high shrink-swell potential and low strength in the claypan. If the soils are used <br /> for septic tank absorption fields, the limitation of very slow permeability can be overcome by increasing <br /> the size of the absorption field. Use of sandy backfill for the trench and Innq absorption lines helps to <br /> compensate for the very slow permeability. The suitability of the soil for septic tank absorption fields <br />