West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

sand to clay loam. Soils are used for rangeland, recreation, or wildlife habitat. Wherewater is available, a few of the soils are used for cropland or homesites.Soil limitations include a high susceptibility to soid blowing of the sand surface layersand excessive erosion hazard due to slopes with inadequate plant cover.• Soils on the Eastern Foot Slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains aredominantly strongly to very steep with some soils in mountain valleys that are nearlylevel. Elevation ranges from 2,000 to 8,000 feet. Soils are shallow to very deep and welldrained to somewhat excessively drained. Surface layers are gravelly sandy loam,gravelly loam, or sandy loam. Four mapping units in this group are used for woodland,rangeland, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Those soils in the more level mountain valleysare used irrigated cropland.The Fort Irwin National Training Center Soil Survey is comprised of five groups and canbe used to extrapolate information about soils for surrounding areas:• Soils in basins and on basin rims are comprised of one mapping unit occupying alluvialflats, fan skirts, and playas landforms. Soils are somewhat poorly to excessively drained,very deep soils formed in mixed alluvial or lacustrine materials on nearly level to gentleslopes. Surface layers are sandy loam to fine sandy loam, coarse sand, loamy coarse sand,silty clay loam, silty clay or clay.• Soils on alluvial fans and alluvial fan remnants are comprised of four mapping units. Thesurface layer is composed of sand, coarse sand, loamy coarse sand, sandy loam, loamysand, loam, or silt loam. Soils are well drained and very shallow to very deep and aregently to strongly sloping.• Soils on granitic pediments and inselbergs are comprised of one mapping unit somewhatexcessively drained, very shallow over granitic bedrock soils formed in residuum. Thesurface layer is coarse sandy loam or sandy loam. Slopes are undulating to steep.• Soils on fan remnants, erosion remnants, and ballenas are comprised of two mappingunits. Landforms are undulating to hilly with very shallow to very deep, well-drainedsoils. Surface layers are loamy coarse sand, coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, or loam.• Soils on hills and mountains are comprised of three mapping units. Landforms arerolling to very steep with very shallow to shallow well drained to excessively welldrainedsoils. Surface layers are sand clay loam, sandy loam, or loam.Soils within the training center are used for military exercises and wildlife habitat. Soilsoutside the training center are most likely used for grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation, andhomesite development.Chapter 3 3-58