LOCATION BROCKLISS NV+CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Torriorthentic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Brockliss stony loamy sand--irrigated pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A1--0 to 9 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) stony loamy sand, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium and fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial pores; 15 percent stones and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 11 inches thick)
A2--9 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) stony loamy sand, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium and fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine, and few fine roots; many very fine, and few fine tubular pores; 15 percent stones and 10 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual smooth boundary. (6 to 9 inches thick)
AC--15 to 23 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) very stony loamy sand, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 30 percent stones and 15 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.4); gradual irregular boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
C--23 to 60 inches; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) and pale brown (10YR 6/3) very stony coarse sand, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; single grain; loose, nonsticky and nonplastic; few very fine roots; 30 percent stones and 15 percent cobbles; many coarse distinct olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist masses of iron accumulation; slightly acid (pH 6.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; in Carson Valley about 2 miles west-northwest of Mud Lake; about 50 feet east and l,370 feet north of the southwest corner of section 32, T. 12 N., R. 20 E.; USGS Woodfords 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; 38 degrees 51 minutes 24 seconds north latitude and 119 degrees 46 minutes 05 seconds west longitude, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Usually dry in the moisture control section, moist in winter and spring, dry in summer and fall; aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature - 48 to 53 degrees F.
Mollic epipedon thickness - l0 to 20 inches.
Control section - Clay content: 1 to 3 percent; Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent, mainly stones and cobbles. Lithology of fragments are granitic rocks such as granite and granodiorite.
A horizons - Hue: 7.5YR or l0YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Organic matter content: 1 to 3 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
AC horizon (when present) - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very stony loamy sand or very stony coarse sand; some pedons have stratified very cobbly loamy sand to extremely stony coarse sand.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.5 to 0.9 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
C horizon - Hue: l0YR or 2.5Y.
Value: 6 through 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3, dry or moist.
Texture: Very stony loamy sand or very stony coarse sand; some pedons have stratified very cobbly loamy sand to extremely stony coarse sand.
Rock fragments: 35 to 70 percent.
Organic matter content: 0.25 to 0.5 percent.
Reaction: Slightly acid or neutral.
Redoximorphic features: Redox concentrations occur in some pedons as few to many masses of iron accumulation.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Deadfoot (T), Linhart, and Mottskel (T) series. Deadfoot soils are moderately deep to paralithic contacts. Linhart soils are dominated by fine pebbles and do not have endosaturation within 6 feet of the soil surface. Mottskel soils do not have endosaturation within 6 feet of the soil surface.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Brockliss soils are on stream terraces. They formed in alluvium derived from granitic rocks. Slopes are 0 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 4,900 to 5,200 feet. The climate is semiarid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 8 to l2 inches, mean annual temperature is 46 to 51 degrees F., and the frost-free period is 90 to ll0 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dressler, Jubilee, and Mackranch soils. Dressler soils are coarse-loamy and have an irregular decrease in organic carbon with depth. Jubilee soils are coarse-loamy and have aquic conditions within 20 inches of the soil surface. Mackranch soils are fine-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal and have aquic conditions at depths between 20 and 30 from the soil surface.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; negligible surface runoff; very rapid permeability. Endosaturation is present with an apparent seasonal high water table between 4 and 6 feet (deep and very deep free water occurrence classes) from December through May. Cumulative annual duration classes are Common or Persistent. These soils are susceptible to occasional flooding for brief periods between December and May.
USE AND VEGETATION: Brockliss soils are used for pasture, hayland, and urban development. The native vegetation is mainly big sagebrush, rabbitbrush, Anderson's peachbrush, antelope bitterbrush, and needlegrasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Nevada and eastern California. These soils are not extensive. MLRA 26.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County (Carson Valley Area), Nevada, l975.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - The zone from the soil surface to 15 inches (A1 and A2 horizons).
Endosaturation feature - The condition of ground water with an upper boundary between 48 and 72 inches at certain times during normal years (parts of the C horizon).
Particle size control section - The zone from 10 to 40 inches (AC horizon and parts of the A2 and C horizons).