What kind of soils form vernal pools in Mather Regional Park?
Soil scientists give names to different types of soils that often refer to a geographic feature near the area where the type or series of soil was first discovered. The two most common series of soils on the Laguna Formation in Mather Regional Park are called the Red Bluff and Redding series. The two most common types of soil on the Riverbank Formation to the east of Mather Regional Park are called the San Joaquin and Hedge series. Below the first few inches of the soil, the San Joaquin, Redding, and Red Bluff soils are red in color. The red color comes from iron oxides, a material more commonly known as rust. There is iron in the soil that rusts as the soil weathers. The Redding and Red Bluff soils are redder than the San Joaquin soil because they are older and more rust has formed over a longer period of time. The Redding, San Joaquin, and Hedge soils all typically contain vernal pools. The Red Bluff soil does not, as it occurs on the mounds and has a convex surface. All four soils c
