Conservation Element - Calaveras County Government Services

Group 3Group 3 soils are moderately deep and moderately course textured materials oversandstones and volcanic ash. The soils have good natural drainage. Much of this land is used forcattle range. Where water is available, this land can be used for irrigated crops such as deciduousorchards and irrigated pastures. This land requires careful irrigation management because the soilsare strongly sloping to moderately steep, are only moderately deep, and have a slow surfacepermeability.Group 4The Group 4 soils are shallow and have a rocky texture. The base rock is slate andserpentine. Currently, these soils support annual grasses and some oaks and brush. The soils havegood natural drainage. This soil is used mostly as rangeland.Group 5The Group 5 soils support a cover of annual grasses and oaks, although scattered coniferscan sometimes be found on north-facing slopes. These soils are deep to shallow, well-drained,slightly acid, and rocky. The soils are, however, suitable for rangeland.Group 6The Group 6 soils are typified by acid, rocky, or stony soil over slate rock. Conifers growwell in this soil, although there will be occasional pockets of oaks, shrubs, and grasses. The soilscan be used for annual range and irrigated orchards (where water is available).Group 7Group 7 has course to moderately course, acid soils over weathered granite. The soilssupport a cover of conifers, oak, cedar, brush, and scattered perennial grasses. Natural drainageis good.Group 8The soils of this association are formed from volcanic rocks, cobbles, and ash that had beencemented together. They are moderately deep, well-drained, acid soils that contain cobbles. Thesoils are generally on moderately sloping to moderately steep lava caps. The soils support conifers,oaks, brush, and scattered perennial grasses and are best suited for timber production. Naturaldrainage is good.Group 9The final group of soils are actually rocky outcroppings, where the soil mantle is less than2 inches thick. There may be more than 50 percent exposed rock or partly weathered rock. Theseareas are suited to watershed and wildlife and recreation use.Calaveras County General Plan z December 9, 1996 z Page IV-3