SOIL SURVEY OF THE REDDING AREA, CALIFORNIA. 



23 



tuff. It occupies nearly level or gently sloping narrow valley plains 

 or lower rolling hill slopes. It is generally w^ell drained and often 

 covered with a heavy growth of oaks or chaparral. The more ele- 

 vated bodies are sometimes broken by outcrops of the underlying 

 material or marked by the presence of cobbles and bowlders and are 

 shallow and unproductive. 



The Bellavista sandy loam owes its formation to the erosion of the 

 adjacent beds of volcanic ash and tuff and the distribution bv inter- 

 mittent streams of this material mingled with gravels and other soil 

 material derived from the more elevated soils of the uplands. 



The lower bodies are generally devoted' to grazing or to dry farming 

 to grain, although such areas could probably be planted to alfalfa or to 

 other irrigated crops or fruits. The latter are produced only to a 

 limited extent upon this soil type. The more elevated areas are 

 usually suited for and devoted only to grazing. 



The results of mechanical analyses of fine-earth samples of the 

 soil and subsoil are shown in the follovring table: 



Mechanical analyses of Bellavista sandy loam. 



RIVERW.\SH. 



Riverwash of the Redding area varies greatly in character of mate- 

 rial, consisting of coarse to fine river sands, waterworn gravels, and 

 cobbles, and- extending to the depth of 6 feet or more. Generally 

 these materials are more or less intermingled, and either the sandy 

 or gravelly material may predommate or may be nearly lackmg in 

 local areas. 



It is an inextensive type, occurring near or occupying present or 

 abandoned stream channels of the Sacramento River and its tribu- 

 tary creeks, the more extensive bodies lying in the vicinity of and 

 southeast from Redding. The lower lying bodies of finer texture 

 occurring adjacent to the Sacramento River frequently support a 

 moderately heavy or dense growth of the brush and timber usually 

 found in the stream bottoms. The surface is frequently more or 

 less scored by erosion and the type is generally subject to overflow 

 during flood periods. 



It is of recent alluvial origin, and, owing to its position and its 

 .loose, leachy, or stony character, is unsuited to crop production, 

 being of no agricultural value except for grazing. 



