LOCATION CLEAVAGE NV+ID OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lithic Argixerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cleavage gravelly loam-rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted). The soil surface is covered with 15 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles.
A1--0 to 3 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate very fine platy structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; common very fine and fine vesicular pores; 15 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles, slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 23 cm thick)
A2--3 to 10 cm; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) gravelly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine platy structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine and few fine tubular pores; 10 percent pebbles and 5 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)
BA--10 to 23 cm; brown (10YR 5/3) very cobbly loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent pebbles, 30 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 15 cm thick)
Bt--23 to 46 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very cobbly clay loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine, few fine and medium roots; common very fine, few fine, and medium tubular pores; common thin clay films on faces of peds and lining pores and rock fragments; 30 percent pebbles and 25 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 30 cm thick)
R--46 cm; rhyolite.
TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 5 miles west of Midas; about 100 feet east and 2,700 feet south of the northwest corner of section 24, T. 39 N., R. 45 E.; 41 degrees, 14 minutes, 33 seconds north latitude and 116 degrees, 51 minutes, 16 seconds west longitude, NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture - Moist in winter and spring, dry from July through October for 70 to 120 consecutive days, aridic moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Soil temperature - 7 to 8 degrees C. and ranges down to 4 degrees C. in parts of Idaho.
Mollic epipedon thickness - 18 to 25 cm, does not include Bt horizon.
Depth to bedrock - 36 to 50 cm.
Control section - Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: - 50 to 80 percent, mostly pebbles or cobbles.
Reaction - Neutral or slightly alkaline.
A horizon - Value: 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
BA horizon (when present) - Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Very cobbly loam or very gravelly loam.
Consistence: Slightly plastic or plastic, wet.
Rock fragments: 35 to 50 percent.
Reaction: Neutral or mildly alkaline.
Bt horizon - Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR.
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Very cobbly, extremely cobbly, very gravelly or extremely gravelly clay loam, very gravelly sandy clay loam, some pedons have very cobbly or very gravelly loam.
Structure: Subangular blocky or angular blocky or it is massive.
Consistence: Very friable to firm, moist, slightly hard to hard dry, slightly sticky or sticky and slightly plastic or plastic wet.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Anuad, Bellenmine, Celeridge, Cleavmor, Cropper, Gabica, Gaciba, Genoa, Gidwin, Grandeposit, Grandquin, Grosschat, Hawkridge, Hutchley, Loope, Majorsplace, Mascamp, Melling, Pernog, Pernty, Rosara, Shalcleav, Shalper Slatter, Tractuff and Tweener series.
Anuad, Bellenmine Grandeposit, Granquin Grosschat, Majorsplace and Tractuff soils are intermittently moist for 10 to 20 days cumulative between July and September due to convection storms. Celeridge, Genoa, Gerdog, Hawkridge and Loope, Melling soils have a xeric moisture regime. Cleavmor soils contain a Btk horizon with few to many filaments of lime. Cropper and Gaciba soils have a mollic epipedon that includes the upper part of the Bt horizon. Gabica soils are dry for only 45 to 70 consecutive days. Gidwin soils have a mollic epipedon that includes all of the argillic horizon. Hutchley soils have mollic epipedon that include the Bt horizon and the mollic epipedon is 25 to 50 cm thick. Mascamp soils have a mollic epipedon that includes all or part of the argillic horizon and has segregated lime in the lower part of the argillic horizon or coating bedrock. Pernty soil have 35 to 50 percent rock fragments in the Bt horizon. Pernog soils have mollic epipedons that include all of the argillic horizon and are dry for 45 to 70 consecutive days. Rozara soils are 25 to 36 cm to lithic contact and contain 10 to 18 percent clay in the control section. Shalcleav, Shalper, Slater and Tweener soils are less than 30 cm deep to bedrock.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cleavage soils are on plateaus, hills or mountain crests, summits, shoulders, ridges and sideslopes. These soils formed in residuum and colluvium from rhyolite, welded tuffs, chert, shale, quartzite, sandstone or conglomerate and other shallow igneous and sedimentary rocks with some colluvial influence from mixed rock sources. Slopes are 2 to 75 percent. Elevations are normally 1,615 to 2,680 meters and range to 1,460 meters on north aspects in Idaho. The climate is cool, semi-arid with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 300 to 400 mm; mean annual air temperature is normally 6 to 7 degrees C. and ranges down to 3 degrees C. The frost free season is typically 80 to 100 and ranges to 60 days in parts of Idaho.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Graley and Hackwood soils. Graley soils have a clayey-skeletal particle-size control section. Hackwood soils are more than 100 cm deep and have a fine-loamy particle-size control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained, very high surface runoff; moderately slow permeability, (moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity).
USE AND VEGETATION: Rangeland and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly low sagebrush, Idaho fescue, basin wildrye, and Douglas rabbitbrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Nevada and southwestern Idaho. MLRA 23,24,25,27 28B. These soils are extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Eureka County Area, Nevada, 1983.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to 23 cm (A1, A2 and BA horizons).
Argillic horizon - the zone from 23 to 46 cm (Bt horizon).
Lithic contact - the boundary 46 cm (R layer).
Particle-size control section - the zone from 23 to 46 cm (Bt horizon).