LOCATION THREESEE NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Xeric Haplocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Threesee gravelly loam rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The surface is partially covered by approximately 20 percent pebbles.
A--0 to 3 inches; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) gravelly loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderately coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent pebbles; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw1--3 to 9 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, fine and few medium roots; few very fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 15 percent pebbles; few thin lime coats on rock fragments; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4; clear smooth boundary. (5 to 8 inches thick)
Bw2--9 to 14 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) gravelly loam, brown (10R 4/3) moist; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine to medium and few coarse roots; few very fine interstitial and tubular pores; 12 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 15 percent pebbles; few thin lime coats on rock fragments; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2Bk--14 to 24 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly loamy sand, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; few very fine tubular and interstitial pores; continuous weak lime cementation; 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 35 percent pebbles; many thin lime coats on rock fragments; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear smooth boundary. (6 to 12 inches thick)
2Bkq1--24 to 46 inches; light gray (10YR 7/2) very gravelly loamy sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine to medium roots; 50 percent discontinuous weak lime and silica cementation, slightly hard and friable; 20 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 50 percent pebbles; common thin lime coats on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (18 to 26) inches thick)
3Bkq2--46 to 54 inches; variegated stratified coarse sand to very gravelly coarse sand; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 10 percent discontinuous weak lime and silica cementation; 30 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 40 percent pebbles; common thin lime coats on undersides of rock fragments; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
3C--54 to 60 inches; variegated coarse sand; massive; soft, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; 5 percent discontinuous weak lime and silica cementation; 18 percent calcium carbonate equivalent; 10 percent pebbles; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 13 miles south of Highway 229 on the CCC Road in Ruby Valley, about 2,900 feet east and 475 feet north of the southeast corner of section 8, T. 30 N., R. 61 E.; 40 degrees, 29 minutes, 20 seconds north latitude and 115 degrees, 07 minutes, 18 seconds west longitude.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, moist late fall and early spring, dry late spring through mid fall.
Soil temperature - 47 to 52 degrees F.
Depth to calcic horizons - 14 to 20 inches.
Control section - Percent clay: Averages 4 to 10 percent.
A horizon - Value 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: (Less than 2 mm fraction) 1 to 10 percent
Bw Horizon - Value 6 or 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3
Clay content: 10 to 18 percent
Texture: Gravelly loam or gravelly sandy loam
Rock fragment: 15 to 35 percent
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry, slightly sticky to nonsticky wet.
Calcium carbonate equivalent: ( <2mm fraction) 10 to 20 percent
Bk horizons - Value: 6 or 7 dry, 2 or 3 moist, subhorizons are variegated
Clay content: 4 to 10 percent
Rock fragments 35 to 55 percent
Consistence: Soft or slightly hard dry
Calcium carbonate equivalent: ( <2mm fraction) 20 to 30 percent
Other Features: Subhorizons are continuously weakly lime cemented
3C horizons - Calcium carbonate equivalent: ( <2mm fraction) 10 to 20 percent
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Tosser (UT) series. Tosser soils have a calcic horizon at 7 to 12 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Threesee soils are on beach plains and beach bars. These soils formed in reworked mixed alluvium. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations are 5500 to 6400 feet. The climate is cool, semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to 10 inches; mean annual temperature is 44 to 49 degrees F., and the frost-free season is 100 to 120 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Blimo, Pyrat and Tosser soils. Blimo soils have continuous weak silica cementation and a coarse-loamy control section. Pyrat soils have discontinuous weak silica-lime cementation and a loamy-skeletal control section. Tosser soils have a calcic horizon at 7 to 12 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread and bottlebrush squirreltail.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeastern Nevada. MLRA 28B. These soils are not extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES PROPOSED: Elko County, Nevada, Southeast Part, 1991. The name is coined from the CCC Road.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to a depth of about 3 inches (A horizons).
Calcic horizons - The zone from 14 to 54 inches (2Bk, 2Bkq1 and 3Bkq2 horizons).
Xerollic feature - soil moisture and organic matter content meets the requirements for Xerollic
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw2, 2Bk and part of the 2Bkq1 horizons).