SOIL SURVEY OF THE REDDING AREA, CALIFORNIA. 



15 



well drained, sometimes sKghtly gullied, usually wooded or covered 

 mth brush, gravelly, and generally free from hardpan. 



The soils of tliis group are formed by direct wash from the adja- 

 cent upland slopes and by deposition, in the narrow stream valleys, 

 of material carried down by flood waters, the material having been 

 transported for only short distances. While often of a pervious and 

 leachy character they are usually fairly well adapted to agriculture. 



Five types of the stream-bottom soils were encountered, four being 

 soils of the Sacramento series, the remaining one a nonagricultural 

 type, Riverwash. These soils occupy the lower bottoms of the Sac- 

 ramento and minor stream valleys, varying in texture from coarse 

 sands and gravels to rather compact silt loams, and in color from 

 Ught gray to dark brown. They are generally well drained but sub- 

 ject to overflow, which in case of some of the types occurs annually. 

 The}" may be barren of vegetation in spots, but are generally wooded, 

 are often gravelly but free from hardpan. 



The soils of this group consist of recent stream deposits, occurring 

 along present or recent stream flood plains, made up of a variety of 

 mineral constituents wliich have been transported considerable dis- 

 tances. The soil bodies are often small in size, having an elongated 

 outhne extending in the direction of stream channels, and are some- 

 times subject to considerable modification by the erosive efl'ects of 

 floods or the further deposition of material by flood waters. In agri- 

 cultural importance they range from relatively worthless to the most 

 important and valuable soils of the area. 



The following table gives the names and areas of the several soil 

 types shown on the accompanying maj): 



Areas of different soils. 



REDDINO GRAVELLY LO.\.M. 



The Redding gravelly loam varies greatly in texture, structure, 

 depth, and in agricultural importance. T^^ically it consists of a 

 heavy sticky loam of fine silty texture, red to dark red in color, 

 extending to a depth of 6 to 15 inches, and carr^-ing small to rela- 

 tively large quantities of subangular, rounded, or flattened cobbles, 



