LOCATION BELTED NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic, shallow Argidic Argidurids
TYPICAL PEDON: Belted sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 8 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak thick platy structure; soft, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and fine vesicular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 15 cm thick)
Bt--8 to 18 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; brown (10YR 5/3) moist and rubbed; weak thick platy structure parting to moderate medium and fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular and many very fine and fine interstitial pores; common faint clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)
Bqkm--18 to 28 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) cemented material, brown (10YR 4/3) moist, brown (10YR 5/3) moist and rubbed; strong thin platy structure; extremely hard, very firm, strongly cemented by silica and carbonates; many very fine and fine, and few medium roots between plates; common fine tubular exped, and many very fine and fine interstitial pores; noneffervescent in the interior of plates, violently effervescent on outer faces of plates with very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate coats; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (10 to 43 cm thick)
C1--28 to 61 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; common fine tubular and many very fine interstitial pores; few thin very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate filaments; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 48 cm thick)
C2--61 to 81 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular and many fine interstitial pores; slightly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 61 cm thick)
2C3--81 to 102 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; very hard, very firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; very fine interstitial pores; few fine medium and coarse distinct reddish brown (5YR 4/4) and dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) masses of iron accumulation; faint very pale brown (10YR 8/2) carbonate filaments and pockets; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 61 cm thick)
2C4--102 to 152 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few fine roots; few fine, medium, and coarse distinct reddish brown (5YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulation; noneffervescent, except for few light gray (10YR 7/2) carbonate filaments, veins, or pockets; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6).
TYPE LOCATION: Lincoln County, Nevada; in Sand Spring Valley about 4 miles northwest of Rachel; approximately 950 feet north and 500 feet west of the south quarter corner of section 17, T. 3 S., R. 55 E.; USGS White Blotch Springs NE 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 37 degrees 40 minutes 53.8 seconds N. and longitude 115 degrees 49 minutes 5.1 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry, but moist in some part for short periods during winter and early spring months and for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July to October due to convection storms; Typic aridic moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature - 12 to 15 degrees C.
Depth to duripan - 15 to 36 cm.
Reaction - Moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline.
Particle-size control section - Clay content: Averages 15 to 28 percent;
Rock fragments: Averages 0 to 25 percent.
A horizon
Value: 5 through 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Effervescence: Slightly effervescent to strongly effervescent.
Bt horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 through dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Sandy clay loam, sandy loam, loam. or clay loam.
Clay content: 18 to 30 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 30 percent.
Structure: Subangular blocky, platy or granular.
Consistence: Very friable or friable moist, slightly plastic or plastic wet.
Carbonates: Slightly effervescent or strongly effervescent.
Bqkm horizon
Structure: Platy or is massive, strongly cemented continuous laminae that are rarely over one-half inch thick.
C1 horizon
Texture: Sandy loam or fine sandy loam.
Rock fragments: 0 to 35 percent.
Consistence: Soft to hard dry, very friable or friable moist.
2Cr horizon
Hue: 10YR or 7.5YR.
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4, dry or moist.
Texture: Silt loam to extremely gravelly coarse sand.
Consistence: Soft to very hard dry, very friable to very firm moist, nonsticky to slightly sticky and nonplastic to slightly plastic wet.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to violently effervescent.
Other features: Btk horizon is present in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deppy, Dobel, Orphant, and Vylach series.
Deppy soils have mean annual soil temperature of 8 to 9 degrees C. Dobel soils have mean annual soil temperature of 9 to 11 degrees C. and have identifiable secondary carbonates in the lower part of the argillic horizon. Orphant soils are neutral or slightly alkaline in the upper part of the solum and have a second duripan at a depth of 86 to 100 cm. Vylach soils have bedrock at a depth of 50 to 76 cm.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Belted soils are on fan remnants and fan skirts. These soils formed in alluvium derived from mixed rocks. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations range from 1,060 to 2,070 meters. The mean annual precipitation is 100 to 200 mm, the mean annual temperature is 9 to 14 degrees C., and the frost-free period is 130 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fang, Papoose, and Stumble soils. Fang and Papoose soils do not have duripans. Stumble soils are sandy and do not have duripans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderately slow permeability (moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Belted soils are used for rangeland. The vegetation is shadscale, gray molly kochia, Nuttall's saltbush, and annuals, dominantly Eriogonum.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: South-central Nevada. These soils are moderately extensive. MLRA 29.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nye County (Big Smoky Valley Area), Nevada, 1972.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 8 cm (A horizon).
Argillic horizon - The zone from 8 to 18 cm (Bt horizon).
Duripan- The zone from 18 to 28 cm (Bqkm horizon).
Particle-size control section - The zone from the soil surface to 18 cm (A and Bt horizons).