Bennett Valley

This facultative epiphytic parasite can lead to the detriment of oak trees if allowed to persist and spread among trees The dominant surface soil category of Bennett Valley is Clear Lake clay, a soil type occurring here on slopes ranging from zero to two percent gradient.

Clear Lake clay is found on both sides of Matanzas Creek, which flows northwesterly along the axis of Bennett Valley.

Clear Lake clay is dark gray in appearance and manifests a fine to medium granular structure, most commonly supporting hay production in the Bennett Valley.

In addition, Zamora silty clay loam is found in several large patches on the valley floor; Zamora silty clay loam is a grayish brown firm, sticky and plastic soil type and is also characteristic of alluvial fans; it has a neutral pH and occurs at minimum depths of about two meters.

Due to the economic demand for wine grapes in this region, pressure began in the 1980s to develop some of the Bennett Valley soils for viticulture.

This trend is shaped by policies of the County of Sonoma, which discourage small lot residential development in Bennett Valley.