LOCATION CRADLEBAUGH NVEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, calcareous, mesic Duric Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Cradlebaugh clay loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 4 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure in the uppermost 2 inches and massive below; very hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (3 to 8 inches thick)
A1--4 to 9 inches; gray (10YR 5/1) clay loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and few medium tubular pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 6 inches thick)
AC--9 to 17 inches; gray (2.5Y 5/1) sandy clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; few fine distinct mottles, dark gray (10YR 4/1) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular and interstitial pores; common fine and medium soft masses and filaments of lime in root channels; few thin clay films on faces of peds and in pores; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (7 to 9 inches thick)
C1si--17 to 27 inches; light gray (2.5Y 6/1) fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; common fine and medium very dark grayish brown (2.5y 3/2) organic stains; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; discontinuous weak silica cementation; common fine soft masses of lime; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear wavy boundary. (8 to 12 inches thick)
C2--27 to 32 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay loam, very dark grayish brown (2.5Y 3/2) moist; weak fine angular and subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many very fine and fine roots; many very fine and fine tubular pores; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 7 inches thick)
C3--32 to 39 inches; grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) slightly micaceous sandy clay loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine, and few tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
C4--39 to 55 inches; light olive gray (5Y 6/2) slightly micaceous fine sandy loam, olive gray (5Y 4/2) moist; massive; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and fine roots; common very fine and fine tubular pores; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (13 to 18 inches thick)
C5gsi--55 to 65 inches; light live gray (5Y 6/2) slightly micaceous fine sandy loam, variegated dark gray (5Y 4/2) and olive (5Y 4/3) moist; common medium and coarse dark grayish brown common very fine and fine tubular pores; 10 to 15 percent brittle silica cemented fragments that range from about 1/4 to 1 inch in diameter; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4).
TYPE LOCATION: Douglas County, Nevada; about 1,000 feet north and 25 feet east of the apparent center of section 2, T.12N., R.19E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: These soils are saturated for 1 month or more in the spring during most years unless drained. The mean annual soil temperature is 49 to 50 degrees F. These soils are calcareous to depths of 20 to 30 inches. The depth to discontinuous weak silica cementation and durinodes ranges from 18 to 30 inches except that where land leveling cuts have been made the depth is as shallow as 12 inches in some pedons. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages 20 to 30 percent clay.
The A horizon has value of 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist, and chroma of 1 or 2. This horizon is commonly 10 to 14 inches thick except where land leveling cuts have been made it is as thin as 7 inches in some pedons.
The C horizon has hue of 2.5Y, 5Y or neutral, value of 5 through 7 dry, 3 or 4 moist, and chroma of 1 through 3. This horizon is stratified silty clay loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, loam, very fine sandy loam or fine sandy loam. The Csi horizon commonly has 20 to 40 percent silica cemented fragments but ranges up to 90 percent in some pedons. Mottles are few or common and distinct or prominent. Strata of sand or gravel are below depth of 48 inches in some pedons.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the tentative Poeville series. Poeville soils have loam control sections and continuous weakly cemented Csi horizons.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cradlebaugh soils are on smooth floodplains and low lying alluvial terraces at elevations of 4,500 to 4,800 feet. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. These soils formed in alluvium from primarily granitic rocks, with admixture of gneiss, slate, andesite, basalt and volcanic ash. Climate is cool, semiarid with mean annual precipitation of 10 to 12 inches. The mean annual temperature is 48 to 49 degrees F. The frost free season is 90 to 105 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Dangberg and Heidtman soils. Dangberg soils have natric horizons and duripans. Heidtman soils lack silica cementation.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained; slow runoff; moderately slow permeability. The water table commonly ranges from 20 to 30 inches during late winter and spring. Some areas have been partially drained by diversion and pumping and are somewhat poorly drained.
USE AND VEGETATION: Cradlebaugh soils are used for meadow hay and pasture. Cultivated areas are cropped in rotation with alfalfa and grain and harvested for grain or hay. Native vegetation is principally clover, fecues, foxtail, saltgrass and bassia. In the more poorly drained areas the meadows consist of sedges, redtop, bluegrass, saltgrass and native clover. In areas that are strongly alkali or strongly salin alkali, greasewood with an understory of saltgrass and foxtail is the principal vegetation.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Valleys in western Nevada. The soils are inextensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Reno, Nevada
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Douglas County (Physical Survey of the Carson Valley SCD), Nevada, 1940.
REMARKS: These soils were classified as Humic Gley soils.